26 Things I’ve Learned at 26
i’ve learned a thing or twenty-six over the years…
I turned 26 at the start of November, and as someone who loves to pause and reflect, I’ve been thinking about the lessons life has handed me: the beautiful ones and the painful ones. Here are 26 that have stayed with me and shaped who I’m becoming.
1. There’s always enough success to go around. (Don’t root for someone else to fail, so that you’ll succeed.)
my print vending machine debut!!
2. Closure doesn’t exist. (If they were capable of giving it, they’d still be around.)
3. Comfort zones secretly breed misery.
4. All it takes is one day to be living an entirely different life.
the day i saw snow on the beach for the first time!
5. Do things alone. (You won’t regret doing something alone, but you will regret not doing something at all.)
6. God provides, always.
7. Move across the country. (You have no idea about the amazing people you’ll meet and the beautiful things that you’ll do.)
some of the best people i know have come from north carolina
8. God has a plan for everyone. (Jeremiah 29:11.)
9. You NEED a side hustle. (Use your free time to create something that’s yours.)
10. Your life is a story. (Add some plot twists.)
i learned how to sail this year, just cause
11. Get outside. (Sunlight and fresh air heal more than you think.)
12. Trust your gut.
13. Real love includes Jesus.
a message i found in the sand, three days after my first heartbreak
14. Forgiveness is for yourself.
15. Humility makes—or breaks—a life. (No one’s entitled to anything.)
16. Learn to love change.
17. Pick your hard. (Growth is hard. Stagnation is hard. Decline is hard.)
18. Pick the people you want in your life. (You become the five people you spend the most time with, choose wisely.)
19. Travel. (Far and often.)
20. Confrontation is inevitable. (It’s better to get used to it.)
21. Get feedback early. (Especially on your writing.)
sticky note planning for book one!!
22. Call your parents. (They love and miss you.)
23. Know who you are and never falter.
24. Time heals all wounds. (It’s a cliché for a reason.)
25. Read… extensively. (Mix up your genres, too.)
26. Actions matter more than words.
A few of these might seem obvious, but I’m always humbled by how easily I forget them. Every lesson here has a story behind it. Stories of laughter, heartbreak, growth. My hope is that by sharing them, you can learn in reflection what I had to learn in experience.