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| Playing with puppies with my boyfriend. See #17. |
I turn 30 this week. Whoa.
It's a long read, but this was a little "assignment" I put together for my life coach/counselor extraordinaire. What else would you add?
1. Health is everything. Ever had a health scare? Ever had a parent have a health scare? (I have). It’s terrifying, and nothing else matters in those moments. Take care of yourself. Encourage your family and loved ones to do the same.
2. The biggest risks in life yield the biggest rewards. Trust me --- I’ve had major “do-overs” twice in my life now. Move. Start over. You can do it, and you’ll probably be better for it.
3. Not everyone is going to like you. As a chronic people pleaser, I have a hard time with this. It’s a harsh reality, but clearly you’re not missing out if they can’t see how awesome you are. 4. Treat strangers with the utmost of respect. Even those annoying telemarketers or political calls. They’re just doing their jobs and are people just like you. Make an effort to get to know the janitors where you work, the checkout people at the grocery store, or the people who serve your coffee at your favorite coffee shop. Converse with strangers (in public places of course) regularly. You might make someone’s day or they might make yours!
5. Think and dream bigger, then act on it. Don’t count yourself out too soon or sell yourself short. Google? Awesome - check. Half marathon on survival anniversary in wine country? Let’s do it! What’s next? Just wait and see. . . :0)
6. Debt sucks. But travel and LIVE your life while getting rid of debt! You never know when life will end, and you’ll miss out on valuable experiences and travel if you restrict yourself too much. Which brings us to #7
7. Balance is key in all you do. Balance in working, playing, eating, working out, spending, saving, and giving back is critical. This is one of my life mantras.
8. It’s okay to completely fall apart for a while. Last year alone, I had girlfriends who were cheated on, lost a parent, lost an adopted child, and had a tree fall on their house. Life is really, really tough sometimes, to the point that all you can do is laugh and cry simultaneously while holding a glass of wine/milkshake. Give yourself some grace, allow yourself to feel what you’re feeling, and if you have to cancel on hanging out with friends/family a few times, it’s not the end of the world. True friends will understand, or at least try to empathize with what you’re going through.
9. Everyone could benefit from a counselor or life coach at some point in their life. Seeking out personal, emotional, or spiritual growth from experts should be a sign of strength, not of weakness.
10. If you see a friend (or enemy) living a fairytale on Facebook or in real life, it’s probably not true. Seewww.stfucouples.com or stfuparentsblog.com if you need further confirmation of this. Don’t let it get to you. In fact, laugh at it.
11. Actions are everything.
Don’t tell me you love me--- show me.
Don’t tell me you want to help starving children or abused women --- do it.
Find your passion, and DO SOMETHING about it.
Quit waiting. Quit talking. Do it.
(working on this too)
12. Naps are awesome. A 30-minute power nap can completely change my day/evening.
13. Everyone’s family has crazy in it, but you also find unconditional love in most families/close friendships. (Note: ‘family’ has a lot of different definitions :0) ) Love your family.
14. Quit hating your body. (I’m working on this one too) I look back on how much I hated my super skinny 16-year-old body, and it makes me sick. I’m sure I’ll feel the same way looking back on my 30-year-old body. So take care of yourself, but love what you have.
15. Always have a few bottles of wine on hand.
16. Trust your dog’s instincts about people. (That is, if your dog is awesome like mine)
Don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like your dog. (Again, only applies if your dog is awesome). Or people who don’t like puppies and butterflies. Because seriously, that’s weird.
17. Have fun. Make lists of what you love doing and want to do. Do those things with people you love. (see above picture - I'm playing with puppies with my amazing boyfriend [not pictured]).
One of the things I love most is seeing old couples laughing and having fun. I want to be one of those people.
18. Spend money on experiences. Try to only splurge on “stuff” that could be sentimental, build memories, or significantly improve your quality of life, like a transporter or invisibility cloak. Or jeans that fit brilliantly.
19. Hire movers if you can. It’s worth every penny and keeps your friends your friends.
20. If you’re on your own (newly single, single for a while, whatever!), find that chore/task you hate and ask for help. I cried (okay, fine, bawled) the first time I had to put sheets on the bed on my own. I hate that job, and it was an instant reminder that I was ALONE. Now, my sheets come out of the dryer (coincidentally) when my boyfriend comes over. :0)
[this falls under the category of loving and taking care of yourself]
21. Perform daily small (anonymous, when possible) acts of kindness. Quite simply: love.
22. You aren’t defined by your past “issues”. If I were defined by those, I’d forever be a rape victim with a cheating ex and brain damage. Seriously. Head case much? Lifetime Original movie? Yuck! Obviously, that's not me at all.
You are what you’ve MADE out of your past life experiences. Love yourself for it.
23. Everyone should have one Nobel Laureate they look up to and want to have dinner with.
24. What’s the rush? Be patient.
Just because someone was distracted and missed the green arrow, don’t get angry. They’re probably distracted for a reason. Maybe they just came from the hospital to visit a sick relative. Maybe they had a rough day. Take it easy.
25. You have to be content being completely alone before you’re ready to be whole in a relationship.
26. Never date/marry someone who doesn’t share their food, even at stuffy, fancy restaurants. More seriously, never date/marry someone your family and close friends don’t love. Don’t waste your time.
27. There are some pretty horrible people in the world. Quit making excuses for their lies or behavior and cut them out of your life. There are too many good people to allow them to take up your time/energy.
28. Coconut water makes hangovers better. (just in case you forget balance--#7---when it comes to alcohol consumption from time to time)
29. Drink organic milk and limit your red meat consumption (or cut it out completely :)).
30. Use tons of sunscreen and floss.
The end. Good job for making it this far.
