As many of you know, I just celebrated my 30th birthday and I’m super excited to be done with my 20s. While I learned a lot from the mistakes I made as a 20 something, I don’t believe in regrets because at the time that’s exactly what you wanted. With everything I’ve learned in my 30 years of living, I feel that I should share my knowledge and help others make better life decisions. Here are the top lessons I’ve learned the hard way so that maybe you don’t have to.
Photo by: Zarif Taufiq
1. Just because the drinks are free doesn’t mean you have to drink them.
I have no further comment.
2. Being fired isn’t the end of the world. It’s the start of something new.
Not every job is for you and not everything you pursue is going to work out the way you think it will. And that’s okay. Just because you failed at something or were unceremoniously fired from a job doesn’t mean that you’re a failure or are doomed to a life of failure. Some of the most successful people in the world have been fired and are even more successful for it. To me, being fired just means that you should be pursuing something else that will serve you better or you should be taking a different approach to what you’d like to continue to pursue.
3. When fashions go out of style, keep them because they will always come back in style.
The 90s are back and I would give anything to still have my chokers, Calvin Klein tees and vintage Tommy Hilfiger pieces from my childhood. While I plan on stocking up again on chokers this season, I really wish that I had my originals from the 90s because it would save me money and I’d be wearing unique originals rather than mass produced copies.
Everything comes back in style every 20 years. There’s nothing truly new. Just recycled ideas that are brought back as new because they are new to people who weren’t alive 20 years ago. So find a dark corner of your closet to store old fashions because there is no doubt that they will become new again and we all need to be prepared for the next trend (even if it’s old news to you).
4. Credit cards are the root of all evil
5. You’ll always regret what you didn’t do rather than what you did.
During my 20s I wasted a lot of time being hung over and asleep. Looking back, I really wish I would have used that time to pursue yoga, writing or anything else really. Now I make up for lost time by experiencing everything that I can. When I’m sometimes tempted to back out on plans or think I might not want to try something new, I always tell myself that I’m more likely to regret not doing it than doing it. So far, it’s been 100% true. I never hesitate to hit up a unique art show or go out of my way to visit a friend in another city. In order to live a full, well-rounded life, you need to embrace, try, pursue and say yes to everything. After all, you don’t really know if you like something or not until you’ve tried it and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it again.