24 Things I’ve Learned in 24 Years

Throughout my struggles against life’s hardships, my own mind, and all of the various other chaos that has been thrown my way, I feel beyond hopeful for this next chapter of my life.

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If I’m being utmost honest, the theme song to this next chapter will most likely be Bad Reputation by Joan Jett. For the first time ever since I could remember, I feel free; from my own mind, thus the world as a whole as well. Of course, I had to earn this freedom and it wasn’t easy and oftentimes, still must work at it as the days come. Though, I am beyond grateful to obtain a thing or two that will forever give me this sense of hope for better years to come.

24 Things I’ve Learned in 24 Years:

0. Proper communication would solve more than enough of our problems.

1. That life is pointless and only when we accept this that we can truly live in nonchalance and be carefree to chase after those we truly desire.
2. The only key to living a content life is becoming accustomed to change and losing those we never sought to lose. From losing our car keys, wallet, all the way to a loved one. If you become exceptional at loss, you will never lose.
3. Everything is subjective. When someone says you are smart, it is only so to them because you obtain more knowledge in a certain topic than they. The same goes with being labelled with a negative adjective. Ex: If someone called you ugly, it merely means they have a fairly narrow outlook on what beauty is/should be. Not only so, we are all living in a different form of reality that is subject to our own projections of perspective…who’s to say that reality even exists anyways? The bottom line…nothing should ever be taken personal.
4. People only know what you tell them, and even then, there is a high possibility of misconnection of understanding. Stop explaining, speak simply of what you are yearning to say.
5. Live in balanced harmony by living with mind and heart. More often, to live a balanced life is to live more so with heart.
6. Ego is the enemy of obtaining all of those we desire.
7. AMF’s are a terrible chaser of Tequila.
8. The meaning of “what they say about you says more about them.” I never truly understood this quote, I always thought it meant if someone called me ugly, it meant they were ugly in appearance and not me. But now I truly see that it means that the individual holds deep subpar values underlying their judgement. This person values how a person should look and most likely is insecure themselves with a narrow outlook on beauty.
9. Being disliked, seen as weird/odd, or crazy is to be free; free of the fear judgement and of the angst that comes with attempting to please society.
10. My alcohol limit…I never knew what this was and always thought it was more than what it is, which is why I needed to take a step back from drinking for a while to clear this up. My limit is one, two is pushing it, and three is a mistake and the point of no return.
11. People will see a situation as they wish, if you make a mistake, attempt to make amends. But if they aren’t interested, learn to forgive yourself. You tried to make amends and did as you could, no need to beat yourself up over something countless humans do each day, that being making mistakes.
12. Life isn’t about what you want, rather, which problems you rather solve. There is never a “perfect” choice and one will always have problems to solve, the matter is which you’d enjoy solving more.
13. People settle in life for the same reason they always choose the same ice cream flavor at the parlor in lieu of trying the one they always yearned to; it’s the safest bet and sure choice.
14. Scared people say hurtful things.
15. You must first find peace, love, and patience within yourself before attempting to give it to others, or you will be handing out the opposing.
16. The world is full of amazing aspects that I’ve never noticed before because I was exceedingly sucked into the modern digital world.
17. Our habits are a passed down automatic response to the world beginning with the thoughts we allow in.
18. We have the power to live a better life, but our minds are lazy and most don’t even attempt to overcome this.
19. Everything I obtain in current time is more than good enough.
20. A change of perspective goes a long way.
21. Old habits die hard, new (good) habits grow easily.
22. There is more than one way to be regardless of what society shrinks you as.
23. Thinking is the enemy of all action. Improvisation eases the angst of “getting it right.”
24. I still, and most likely will always, have much to learn.