38 things I've learned in 38 years
Reflections ahead of my birthday 🎂
Yep, that’s right. This time next week I’ll have been around the sun 38 times, despite my brain telling me I’m still 21. So as I juggle packing suitcases for Cape Verde, I wanted to share some of the life lessons (both serious and not-so-serious) that I’ve picked up along the way…
Boundaries keep you sane – set them in both your personal life and workplace
Experiences and memories outweigh tangible gifts
Wrinkles mean you’ve laughed a lot
Having lots of money doesn’t make you happy – but it certainly helps
Your job title won’t be included on your headstone - perspective is everything
Giving your time is worth more than anything
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” – Maya Angelou
It’s not you, it's them - the way people react is a reflection of their emotional state
Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash Just f*cking calm down and count to ten
A career doesn’t have to be linear - it can be squiggly
Feel the fear and do it anyway - growth happens out of your comfort zone
Empathy is THE most important life skill
Acknowledge and validate your feelings no matter how uncomfortable
It’s ok to cry
Everything is temporary
Not everyone will like you – you don’t even like everyone!
Don’t be ashamed of failure – try and learn from it
Always ask questions – no matter how silly they might seem
There’s always a plan B or C or D
Walk away from people and situations that don’t serve you
Photo by Junseong Lee on Unsplash People will come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Not many will stick around for the long haul
Do things solo, don’t wait for others
Just be yourself… no one else can do that for you
People aren’t thinking about you the way you are thinking about yourself
Move your body to relieve stress
The hangover is never worth it… ever
Always double-cleanse
Don’t overpluck your eyebrows
Balayage will save you time and money
Pay into a private pension so you can retire before 100
Take your holidays
Children hold up a mirror to you
Always try and see things from the other person’s point of view
Separate beds will save your marriage when a child's illness is doing the rounds
Love is giving someone the power to destroy you and trusting they won’t use it
Photo by Awar Meman on Unsplash A trip to the seaside is good for the soul
Nothing good happens during Mercury in retrograde
Always use SPF 50+ sunscreen unless you want to look like Madge from Benidorm!
And with that, I’m cramming some more sunscreen into my case along with my sun hat and shades.
I hope this blog has raised a smile or two, and I’d love to hear what you’ve learned over the years.
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Kat x