20 things I've learnt in 20 years
I still laugh at the thought of me being 20.
Although... it's not even a thought, it's fact. Like, I am actually 20.
20 years of me walking around this planet thinking about food, sleep, and reality TV. Yikes.
20 years of me walking around this planet thinking about food, sleep, and reality TV. Yikes.
In my years of listening, reading, thinking, watching, and trying not to fall asleep in lessons, I have learnt many (unimportant but still useful) things that I think I should share with you all.
1) If you wanna eat the full bag of doritos, eat the full bag of doritos... and finish your pals chocolate bar off for them whilst you're at it. Okay, so I probably could have worded this one better. I think what I'm trying to say is don't constantly worry about your weight. Yes, be sensible, eat your fruit and veg, drink lots of water...BUT CHOCOLATE IS NICE. AND NICE THINGS MAKE YOU SMILE. AND YOUR SMILE IS PRETTY. I may have thick thighes and wobbly bits on my hips but WHO CARES? Definitely not me when I'm wiggling my bum on the dance floor.
2) When it's sunny, go outside! Oh god, am I sounding like your mum here? But seriously, little walks in the sun are so refreshing. Especially if you're like me and spend most days napping, watching netflix and procrastinating from the forever growing pile of University work building up on my desk. Why not procrastinate in the sun? It's way better.
3) CHECK YOUR BOOBIES AND BOY BITS PEOPLE. This is SUCH an important one! Please regularly check your body and try to notice any changes. I learnt this as I found a lump in my boob and it was terrifying. So terrifying it took me nearly a YEAR to get it checked out. Bad Move. Although it turned out to not be any harm, it could have been much worse than it was if it was the opposite scenario. I'm planning on getting it removed this year and if I had had it checked out sooner, it would have been gone sooner! So please get anything checked out. It's not as embarrassing as you think, I promise. (And that's coming from someone who gets embarrassed at sneezing in public.)
4) Exercise makes you feel good! As much as we all try and deny it, there's nothing better than walking out of the gym and thinking I DID IT. Even if you did it red faced and panting, you still did it. The walk to the gym is even mood boosting. Strutting down the street in your Primark gym attire with your protein shake in hand makes you feel, well, kind of sassy yanoe?
5) When you're ill, look after yourself. Snuggle up in bed, binge watch your dusty DVD collection sat on your top shelf, sleep for 20 hours...you know the drill. Don't do a me and have a night on the sesh because your pals convinced you that "alcohol cures all". NOPE.
6) Dreams don't work unless you do. This is a quote that I LIVE by.
7) Do what you love. This is so cliche, but I wouldn't include it if it wasn't true! If you want to do something, DO IT.
8) Getting so drunk you end up lying in your own sick and then continuing to buy even more jager bombs IS OKAY. Sometimes it can even be fun.
9) Likewise, If you'd rather have a night slumped in bed with thousands of snacks, a hot chocolate with extra cream and your phone hidden somewhere completely switched off, then that's okay too! Nights in are my favourite kind of nights when you switch yourself off from the world. Bliss.
10) Not everyone will like you. I mean, they might...and if so, then lucky you! But in my 20 years of living I've come to realise that you just can't please everyone. Just focus on the people that DO like you. Those relationships are much more valuable and important. Don't waste your time trying to impress people that aren't worth it.
11) Take lots of photo's! If life is worth living, then it's worth documenting. Photo albums, scrapbooks, photo frames...the whole lot! EEP, I love it all. (My future house is going to be PHOTO HEAVEN.)
12) You won't get it if you don't ask. I learnt this by studying Photography at University. I often have so many ideas for photoshoots. Great locations, amazing models, super cool outfits. But instead of making it reality I just have the mind set of "Oh I could never do that." However, in my final year I've already plucked up the courage to just ASK PEOPLE. I was so surprised at how many people say YES!
13) A tidy room is a tidy mind. This phrase probably sounds familiar to you, but tidying your room can do WONDERS.
14) Listening is one of the best skills to have. Sometimes when I'm upset, all I need is someone to listen. They don't have to say the right things or offer advice like my own personal therapist, but just having someone who will listen is lovely.
15) Don't google your symptoms. Although google can be INCREDIBLE (shoutout to all those articles teaching me how to boil an egg) it can also be...well...NOT COOL. The amount of times I've self diagnosed myself with some hideous disease is a complete joke. Google can make you feel okay to "oh my god I'm dying" within 0.5 seconds.
16) Notebooks are a god send. I LOVE MAKING LISTS.
17) Compliment people. Compliments can go a long way. They can make someone's morning, day, or even week!
18) The "chavs" at school may seem "it" at the time, but a few years down the line you'll accidentally land on their Facebook profile and laugh. You'll laugh at how you ever let yourself be intimidated by them...if you ever met now, it'd most likely be the other way round.
19) Interviews aren't as bad as you think they're going to be. In fact, 99% of interviews I've attended, I've actually enjoyed?! Weird.
20) In writing this post I've learnt that I have SO much more to learn. Experience in life means heaps more wisdom. Yesss. BRING IT AWNNN.
Claire ♡
4) Exercise makes you feel good! As much as we all try and deny it, there's nothing better than walking out of the gym and thinking I DID IT. Even if you did it red faced and panting, you still did it. The walk to the gym is even mood boosting. Strutting down the street in your Primark gym attire with your protein shake in hand makes you feel, well, kind of sassy yanoe?
5) When you're ill, look after yourself. Snuggle up in bed, binge watch your dusty DVD collection sat on your top shelf, sleep for 20 hours...you know the drill. Don't do a me and have a night on the sesh because your pals convinced you that "alcohol cures all". NOPE.
6) Dreams don't work unless you do. This is a quote that I LIVE by.
7) Do what you love. This is so cliche, but I wouldn't include it if it wasn't true! If you want to do something, DO IT.
8) Getting so drunk you end up lying in your own sick and then continuing to buy even more jager bombs IS OKAY. Sometimes it can even be fun.
9) Likewise, If you'd rather have a night slumped in bed with thousands of snacks, a hot chocolate with extra cream and your phone hidden somewhere completely switched off, then that's okay too! Nights in are my favourite kind of nights when you switch yourself off from the world. Bliss.
10) Not everyone will like you. I mean, they might...and if so, then lucky you! But in my 20 years of living I've come to realise that you just can't please everyone. Just focus on the people that DO like you. Those relationships are much more valuable and important. Don't waste your time trying to impress people that aren't worth it.
11) Take lots of photo's! If life is worth living, then it's worth documenting. Photo albums, scrapbooks, photo frames...the whole lot! EEP, I love it all. (My future house is going to be PHOTO HEAVEN.)
12) You won't get it if you don't ask. I learnt this by studying Photography at University. I often have so many ideas for photoshoots. Great locations, amazing models, super cool outfits. But instead of making it reality I just have the mind set of "Oh I could never do that." However, in my final year I've already plucked up the courage to just ASK PEOPLE. I was so surprised at how many people say YES!
13) A tidy room is a tidy mind. This phrase probably sounds familiar to you, but tidying your room can do WONDERS.
14) Listening is one of the best skills to have. Sometimes when I'm upset, all I need is someone to listen. They don't have to say the right things or offer advice like my own personal therapist, but just having someone who will listen is lovely.
15) Don't google your symptoms. Although google can be INCREDIBLE (shoutout to all those articles teaching me how to boil an egg) it can also be...well...NOT COOL. The amount of times I've self diagnosed myself with some hideous disease is a complete joke. Google can make you feel okay to "oh my god I'm dying" within 0.5 seconds.
16) Notebooks are a god send. I LOVE MAKING LISTS.
17) Compliment people. Compliments can go a long way. They can make someone's morning, day, or even week!
18) The "chavs" at school may seem "it" at the time, but a few years down the line you'll accidentally land on their Facebook profile and laugh. You'll laugh at how you ever let yourself be intimidated by them...if you ever met now, it'd most likely be the other way round.
19) Interviews aren't as bad as you think they're going to be. In fact, 99% of interviews I've attended, I've actually enjoyed?! Weird.
20) In writing this post I've learnt that I have SO much more to learn. Experience in life means heaps more wisdom. Yesss. BRING IT AWNNN.
Claire ♡
