24 Things I've Learned in 24 Years. (Part 2)

Happy Day before Friday everyone! I'm slowly learning that although I've learned a lot in life, it's extremely difficult to put it into words, especially if you want to maintain originality and not sound like a Pinterest quote. So, I hope you guys are ready for me to throw some more wisdom your direction because here is Part 2 of 24 Things I've Learned in 24 Years.

5. Don't compare yourself to others. This one was EXTREMELY difficult for me to learn and I'm still guilty to this day of doing this and I have to catch myself. For as long as I can remember, I have always watched the VS Fashion Show, not for the lingerie or even the music (although the Spice Girls performance fulfilled every 90's dream of mine) but to compare myself to these women who to me, at the time, had the ideal body. I would constantly tape pictures from the VS catalogs on my fridge and mirrors in my closet to motivate myself to hopefully look like that. Month would go by where I would eat less and less and workout out more and more and get increasingly frustrated that I was ~VS Angel Quality~ (insert eye roll here). I was truly disordered for a long time and up until recently, I didn't fully accept that I would NEVER look like that, and if I did, I would have been extremely unhealthy. So stop the comparisons and love your body and yourself, because you'll be so much happier.

6. Put yourself out there. I suffer from something I like to call "Resting Bitch Face" and I'm an introvert to boot. Most people that I'm friends with thought that I hated/didn't like them when they first met me because I don't open up to people easily. However, even though I look like Grumpy Cat in human form, I really am a happy person and I do like people (except people who tailgate, you people can eff off). So when I notice someone new in the workplace or am meeting someone outside my circle for the first time, I put on my sorority smile (and I can say that because I was in fact in a sorority), shake their hand and say hi. Doing this has helped me make new friends and helped (sort of) get over my shyness of putting myself out there.

7. Own your shit. Fact: I used to have a really hard time admitting I was wrong. I'm a really stubborn and hard headed person who likes to be right 100% of the time. When I fuck up, I know in my mind I not only let the people around me down, but I let myself down. Blaming others and constantly wanting to be write was going to paralyze my growth as a person, and people will not want to be around you, to put it bluntly. But, I've found that if you own your pitfalls, not only to others, but yourself, it motivates you to become a better person in all aspects of your life. On the flip side of this, being self-deprecating and always blaming yourself for stuff that OTHER PEOPLE have done is just as bad. Don't be afraid to (politely) call them out.

8. Stand up for yourself. Tying into the #7, I have found it essential in life to learn to stand up for yourself, especially being in the military. I HATE confrontation (my mother will try to deny this for ages, but it's true), especially when someone pisses me off or does something that makes me uncomfortable. I like mentally crawl back into my hermit shell and avoid said person at all costs. But I have found that if its a person of value in your life that has wronged you, if they truly are a friend, you can bring up to them what bothered you. 90% of the time your friend/co-worker/significant other/family member will understand, hash it out with you and you both make up. Sometimes, however, you get a bad egg, and it's totally ok to cut those people out of your life (if the situation is repeated or bad enough). I have found that toxic friends and people in life only bring you down with them because they are so unhappy with themselves.

Until next time, stay beautiful!

24 things I've learned in 24 years. (Part 1)

With my 25th birthday looming in the next few months, and my quarter life crisis already in full gear, I thought that I would sit back and think about everything that I've done in the quarter of a century that I've been alive and share some of my "wisdom" with you. To prevent a giant singular post, each week I'm going to share a few snippets of what I've learned so far. So, without further ado, here are the first 4 things I've learned in 24 years.

1. Mom is (usually) right. My mom and I are incredibly alike, not only in looks, but in personality. We are both incredibly hard headed and stubborn which made for some pretty "fun" teenage years. I rebelled A LOT as a teenager and did the total opposite of my mom's advice just because I wanted to be right and prove her wrong. Now, as an adult, I really value her opinion. Do I always agree with her? No, but just hearing what she has to say helps me think a little bit outside the box when it comes to making a responsible decision.

2. Don't be afraid of being alone. Having witnessed some toxic relationships growing up and being in some as well, I found that I often settled for a guy because I didn't think that I could get any better or because I was afraid of being alone. When the time came after a bad breakup where I actually was alone, I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I had a lot to provide in a relationship, that I put other people before myself, that I'm stronger than I thought and I deserved love. Being alone can be a terrifying thought, but you often learn a lot about who you are during the solitude.

3. When you do find someone right, make the dive headfirst. When I met my husband, we had only been dating about 6 months before we got married. Being in the military and wanting to be stationed in the same place was a big factor in that decision, but we both had to put our full trust in the fact that we really truly loved each other and that this was the right decision. We have learned so much about each other along the way and we have had to grow, not only in our relationship, but as partners as well. While we still have more to learn, I know that marrying my husband was the best decision I have made (so far) and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

4. Surround yourself with a Girl(squad). I'm the type of girl who doesn't have Taylor Swift size girl squad, but I do have 2-3 girls that I am extremely close with and would trust with anything. Being in the military and being surrounded by 85% men all the time, it can be difficult to find a girl that you truly vibe with. I've been extremely lucky to find friends that I trust completely and would be willing to go to battle with and for. These girls have been there when I've been at the lowest points and highest and have put aside everything to be there for me. Carrie Bradshaw was right when she said that our girlfriends are our soulmates because I don't know what I would do without mine.