on entering my 20's
entering a new decade, birthday diaries, what i expect for this new era and 20 lessons i learned in 20 years
last monday, april 6th, was my 20th birthday! i had so much fun with my friends and my family, i went out on saturday with friends and on monday, i had dinner with my family. i love getting everyone together and feeling so loved by them. i’m always very sentimental around my birthday, getting older is never easier, and this year wasn’t different. in the week before my birthday i reflected a lot about the past years, what i learned, what goals i achieved and the ones that changed — and boy did i get nostalgic!
i had great teenage years, filled with friends and people i loved and it makes me sad that i’ll never sit in a class with all of my best friends, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. it’s a sadness i can't really explain, honestly, but going from seeing my besties every day to seeing them a few times per year has been the worst moment of my adult life.
i also learned a lot of things in these 20 years of life, and although they might seem cliche, it took me a lot of time to actually apply some of them to my life, so i wanted to share them with you!
20 lessons i learned in 20 years
romanticize your daily life - this is key to living a happier life in my opinion, taking even the most mundane thing and romanticizing it makes your life easier and lighter!
dream big always - there’s one phrase i like that says “the universe is not on a budget, so why would you not ask for everything that you want?”, and i live by it, there’s no reason for why you should not dream bigger and bigger.
you can always start over - change is the one consistent thing in our lives, and i realized that just a few months ago. it’s better to embrace it than to fight it, starting over is always an option.
time will pass no matter what - why not go on that trip if you can, time will pass anyway. why not spend it pursuing you dreams, ambitions, and goals rather than not doing anything.
until it’s done, tell none - my wise mom told me this my whole life, but i never really listened to her until a few years back when i noticed how things were not working the way i wanted them to whenever i told a lot of people what was going on. so please, believe me, until it’s done, tell none! (this also goes for posting on instagram, i never post in real time!)
always be present - we tend to always look into the future or the past, but we never are truly present in the moment, i learned to appreciate the right now instead of spending my time thinking about what my life will look like in a few years or the what ifs of the past.
bloom at your own pace - it is not a race, you don’t have to buy a house by 21, build a company and become a millionaire by 22. this is you life, live by your own timing.
don’t be afraid to be seen trying - trust me, i’m a perfectionist, i hat when i’m not good at something straight away, but this just does me more harm than good, i’m trying to unlearn this behavior.
selfcare = nonnegotiable - in 2024, i barely took care of myself — mentally and physically — and it was the worst, my mental health was in shambles, so please, take care of your self, take some nights off for a self care routine, take an everything shower, put a face mask, put your comfort tv show and make a delicious meal just for you!
surround yourself with good people - if you surround yourself with people who drain your energy, you’ll never be able to thrive, you have to surround yourself with people who cherish you and celebrate you, who help you with your problems without asking for anything in return.
you can do hard things - it’s true when they say you are your worst enemy, we tend to diminish ourselves more than anyone ever could. you are able to do everything you put your mind to! trust yourself.
joy has a habit of returning - spring is our reminder that even in the darkest moments of our lives, joy and beauty will return.
do it scared - like i said before, i am a perfectionist, i hate starting things if they’re not perfect. take my youtube channel for example, i never started it because i thought i had to buy a ultra high quality camera to start filming, when in reality, you just have to start it. it was the best decision i’ve ever made, honestly. so do it scared, do it even if it’s not perfect
comparison is the thief of joy - this ties in to number 7, comparison will never be beneficial to you, it only stagnates your life. and specially in this age of social media, we’re comparing ourselves more and more each day. just remember it’s your own pace you should be living by, not anyone else’s.
let love in - when i was 15 to 16, i decided i was too good for love, specially romantic love, but if you let love in, life is so much better. when i first started dating my boyfriend, my life had never felt lighter and happier.
give yourself time to rest - 2024 was a weird year for me, non stop studying, getting home at 7pm and leaving it at 7am, i was exhausted and never got any rest in between these moments because i believed it wasn’t productive and i was almost burning out. tuns out, rest IS productive and you should not take it for granted.
always be a little kinder than necessary - this applies to your parents, siblings, friends, coworkers, strangers on the street, the people who work on restaurants, shops… it doesn’t hurt to be kind, even if you’re having a hard day.
healthy body, mind and soul - you should always prioritize your health, be it physical, mental or energetic. find a workout you like, go see a therapist and start journaling, be grateful for every small thing in your life and set boundaries.
protect your inner child - this is a very important one for me, you should always protect and heal your inner child, they are still inside you, so why would you neglect them.
your anxiety is lying to you!!!!! - i learned this in therapy, my anxiety makes me overthink too much and i have yet to learn how to not listen to it, but admitting it is the first step. i try to always take a step back and breathe whenever i’m feeling anxious.
i know most of these are cliches, but it doesn't hurt to remind yourself of them from time to time!
all i wish from my 20’s is more traveling, more love, more dreams, more kindness, more trying, more changing, more accomplishments and less comparison, perfectionism, fear of failing and racing to achieve a life is not mine.
see you next week <3