1: Celebrate everything. After all the ups and downs through the past few years, I think we can agree that all wins are worth celebrating.

2: Mental and emotional health are just as important as your physical health.

 

3: Unplug as often as possible. Your presence in little moments make for big memories. Technology is great, but being present is even better. 

 

4: You don’t need to explain yourself. I spent a lot of time feeling like I needed to explain my decisions. Your job, parenting style, budget, outfit choices and weekend plans are your decisions to make. Not everyone will understand it and that’s okay!

5: Girl, wash your face. Oh, and wear sunscreen.

6: The perfect moment never comes. You’re going to spend entirely too much time seeking that “go for it” sign and miss the window of opportunity. It’ll never be the “right” time. Do it anyways.

7: Stop selling yourself short. My industry asks me to put a price on my value and my time when I receive proposals for partnerships. Sometimes that’s met with a response asking if I can do all the work for half the price. Stick to your guns. Don’t settle and remember, you’re freakin’ worth it.

8: Appreciate your parents. Your whole family, for that matter.

9: Being right doesn’t always correlate with “winning.” Well, you’re right. Now what? Pick your battles and be open to other opinions. Being open-minded is probably the best quality you could have.

10: You can’t appreciate the really great times without the really crappy ones, too. 

11: Quality over quantity. The past year really helped me in evaluating the people in my circle. It was easy for everyone to show up when the sun was shining, but relationships are super telling when times get hard.

12: It’s cool to talk about your passions.

13: My favorite people say little and listen 100%. I wish I had this quality – I never shut up. My goal over the next few years is to really perfect listening more and talking less. You learn so much about others when you just listen. Stop planning your next sentence while someone is talking and just listen. 

14: Leave work at work. Bad day at the office? Address it there. You were there for 8+ hours, don’t bring it home with you. Let the little time you have away from ‘work’ be dedicated to building relationships and your happiness. Your home life deserves it.

15: What Sue says about Sally says a lot more about Sue than Sally. I look back and cringe about the times that gossip and hateful conversations were excused as “girl talk.” Putting down others doesn’t make you better, happier or more advanced. This is such a toxic trait and something I lived in when I was my least happy and most insecure. Instead of partaking in a mean-spirited conversation, invest time in getting to the bottom of your insecurities.

16: Communicate your expectations from the get-go.

17: What would Jesus do? Okay, I actually ask myself “what would Pastor Jonathan do?” because I think he’s such a cool dude with lots of worldly answers to stuff. Once I ask myself, I feel a lot of assurance in my decision. Most of the time you know the answer, but it’s nice to have assurance from asking this sometimes.

18: Travel, and travel often. 

19: You won’t ever regret building up someone else. As someone that struggled with confidence, direction and purpose for many years, I live for dropping nuggets of affirmation for others. No matter who you are, we all love to hear “girl, you’re doing great.”

20: Investing in experiences over “things” is always a safe bet.

21: Utilize your village. Mom guilt had me feeling like I’d be a failure if I admitted I needed help. Guess what? My circle was so excited to jump in when I allowed it. The people who love you don’t want to see you struggle. Asking for help doesn’t make you selfish – it allows you to be the best version of yourself.

22: Forgiveness and forgetting aren’t one in the same. Church really taught me that. I’ve let go of certain situations left on my heart and it’s made my load in life so much lighter. Forgiveness is so powerful. However, forgiveness doesn’t mean you should let people back in your life. It just means you aren’t carrying the burden of lists, hurt and heaviness on your heart.

23: Trust your gut.

24: Be yourself. Wear lots of makeup. Don’t fix your hair. Plan over-the-top birthday parties. Get your kids fast food. Be the odd man out. You’ll be so much happier and free when you stop feeling limited to what other “think” you should be. Your authenticity feels and shows.

25: Finding your purpose and passion in life changes your mentality. 

26: Never ask someone to do something you aren’t willing to do yourself.

27: We only see what people want to show us on social media. The beauty, happiness, expensive bags and fancy trips are a tiny peek at their daily lives. No one is going to show you the bickering with their partner, the hard parenting moments or times work gets ugly. Remember that next time you wish for someone else’s life based on something you see on socials.

28: You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.

29: Age, confidence and happiness is a mindset. As much as I joke about getting older sucking, I love where I am thanks to the experiences I’ve had in my 29 years. I’m genuinely happier, more confident and more secure than I was a few years, months or weeks ago.