Tuesday 27 February 2018 - the day that most of England has found itself absolutely blanketed with snow and also the day that I turn 25 years old. Yes, that's right, I'm officially halfway to 50 (yay) and whilst deep down I know that I'm not actually that old, I do feel as though I've learnt a number of valuable life lessons along the way. 25 of which I'm going to share with you in this post.
- Take care of yourself. Look after your mental and physical well-being, take time to properly rest when you feel exhausted so as not to burn yourself out.
- Don't ever let anybody tell you that you're too ambitious. Dream big and work hard!
- Your best friend as a teen won't necessarily be your best friend or even in your life by 25 and that's perfectly ok.
- Be true to yourself - don't allow the lives of others dictate the way in which you live yours.
5. Learn to love yourself. I touched on this in my previous post, but if you don't love yourself first then nobody else will ever truly be able to.
6. Say yes to activities and be adventurous. As much as a Netflix day is a good idea, you don't want to look back on life with multiple binge-watching sessions of Gilmore Girls being your only memory (even though it's a bloody great show and I'm very much #TeamLogan).
7. Travel, do a lot of travelling and you don't even need to go abroad to do so.
8. Sometimes you need to cry for no reason - let it out.
9. Always listen to your intuition.
10. Being a young woman in the workplace isn't an easy ride, but don't let anybody hold you back. You have just as much of a right to be there as your male colleagues. So take that seat at the table, lead the project, own the presentations and network whenever you can. Don't be scared to speak up if something isn't right and equally, speak up if you've done commendable work - don't be afraid to be a boss.
11. Read 'Lean In' by Sheryl Sandberg.
12. Education doesn't stop as soon as you leave school or graduate.
13. Take an active interest in politics and exercise your right to vote.
14. Learn to make your own decisions.
15. Tomorrow isn't promised. Stop putting things off and taking life for granted.
16. Embrace diversity. There are so many people from all walks of life, there are so many different places, different cultures and ways of life - celebrate them and embrace them, you'll be surprised by how much you learn in doing so.
17. Don't make excuses for people not pulling their weight.
18. Fxck-boys are a part of growing up as a young woman, but don't let them define you. You are enough and one day you'll find someone who sees that loves you for who you are.
19. Body insecurities are still there at 25 but make sure you work to overcome them in a healthy manner. Don't repeat the same mistakes you made as a teen... don't starve yourself, be wise and learn the importance of a balanced diet/lifestyle.
20. Don't allow bad experiences with those girls deter you from forging females friendships again. Having strong, like-minded female friends is vital... build that sisterhood.
21. Know when it's time to have that last glass. The older you get, the dirtier the hangover.
22. Be there for your friends. Pick up the phone, ring/text.. heck, even tag them in a meme (such millennials), just let them know that you're thinking about them.
23. Quit the job. If it isn't giving you the valuable experience that you need or if it's making you utterly miserable - quit and go after what you really want career-wise.
24. It's only skin. Problematic skin is a pain (quite literally), but invest in good skin care and eat well... that's really all that you can do. At the end of it all, there are bigger hurdles to get over in life.
25. There is hope and light at the end of that very dark and long tunnel, just wait it out.
LF
Stunning photos and wise words, beautiful birthday girl! I've got a year-and-a-bit to go until I hit 25...some of these points are really relevant to me so definitely going to take some of this advice on board! Lianna xx
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