For a long time now, I’ve been thinking about writing a list of the things I’ve learned so far in life. And, recently, I’ve been given an opportunity. I turned 25 this week! So, without further ado, here are 25 things I’ve learned in the first 25 years of my life.
- If your house smells weird, take out the trash and vacuum your rugs and carpets. If you have pets, get some sort of fur removal device for furniture (I use something called a ChomChom Roller and *love* it).
- Anything that’s worth doing is worth doing halfway. If your floors are dirty but you don’t have the energy to mop them, sweeping is better than nothing.
- Meal prep is your friend. Make too much food on purpose. Eat leftovers for the rest of the week. Freeze what you have to.
- Crock pots are also your friend. Coming home after a long day of work to a hot meal in the crock pot is the second best thing to having your mom cook for you.
- Carbohydrates aren’t inherently unhealthy. Unless you have certain health issues, you’re allowed to eat rice, pasta, and bread without feeling guilty.
- “Junk foods” like hamburgers and pizza can actually be decently healthy as long as you make them from scratch.
- Read books outside of your comfort zone, especially if they’re Classics. You might enjoy things you didn’t expect to.
- On the other hand, sometimes you’ll start reading a book and realize that it’s awful. Maybe it includes violence, sex, or profanity that you’re not comfortable with; maybe it’s simply a poorly written book. You’re allowed to stop reading it. You’re even allowed to throw it away or give it to someone else.
- Be willing to spend money on good-quality copies of Classic books, especially if you want to be able to pass them down to your kids someday. Most books, however, should be bought used.
- The music you listen to affects your soul. There’s a time and a place for listening to sad music, but music that’s more wholesome, upbeat, and/or worshipful can help you get out of a funk.
- Taking a moment to recognize the presence of God can make any day better. Thank Him for good days, ask Him for help through difficult days. It takes five seconds. Try it now.
- Being excessively alone is Very Bad for you.
- If you feel depressed, take a walk and talk to someone who loves you (ideally in person rather than texting or over the phone).
- Don’t bother texting the suicide hotline. No one will get back to you. If you genuinely need help, call them.
- Having a pet is very nice and will make your life better. However, it doesn’t replace actual human interaction. Keep up relationships with your friends and family.
- Don’t be afraid to sacrifice your time or money to help other people, especially friends and family. Time spent helping others is never wasted.
- Take care of your health, but recognize that you can’t 100% control everything. Stressing about toxins or calories is just as harmful as consuming those toxins or calories.
- Don’t take magnesium on an empty stomach. There will be Side Effects.
- Sixty percent of being a teacher is classroom management, which is a completely different skillset than actually teaching.
- Everyone is different. Just because someone online found something to be helpful doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll find it equally helpful. Likewise, just because something helped you doesn’t mean it will help others.
- It’s okay to hold different opinions from your parents (I’m still working on this one).
- You are naturally good at some things. You are also naturally bad at some things. Accept the things you’re naturally bad at and lean into your strengths instead; you’ll feel better about yourself.
- Sometimes, you will say or do something that doesn’t come out right. Maybe you were trying to be funny, maybe you were trying to make a point, but you just come across as being mean. Apologize, move on, and watch your words more carefully next time.
- Learn how to appreciate the small, quiet, peaceful moments. Look at the leaves as they rustle in the wind. Feel the steam from your cup of tea warming your face, and laugh when your glasses fog up. Notice the way your cat stretches and yawns. This is one of the secrets to living a wholesome life.
- At some point, someone you love will be going through a hard time, and you won’t be able to help them. Personally, in these situations, I tend to fret and worry, even though it doesn’t do anyone any good. Knowing that God loves my loved ones even more than I do, and He is able to take care of them better than I can, is a tremendous comfort in these times.
In writing this, I’m not necessarily trying to give advice. If you feel like crock pots and meal prep will help you live a more productive life, have at it. But I realize that I still have a lot to learn. And hopefully, I’ll never stop learning.
So far, my mid-20s have been a lot better than my early 20s. When I first moved into my own place when I was 21, I felt a lot like I was on a roller coaster, white-knuckling the safety bar, screaming, feeling like I was going to die. After three and a half years on the roller coaster, I’ve slowly realized that I haven’t died yet. I’m holding the safety bar a bit more loosely. Sometimes I’m even enjoying myself. There have been plenty of flips and whirls that have sent me spiraling, but I’ve survived them, and I’m stronger because of it.
Perhaps that’s the greatest lesson of all–no matter what microwaves, emails, and on-demand video streaming have told us, life happens slowly sometimes. Growth comes slowly. And that’s okay.