25 Lessons Learned at 25
October is my birthday month and my birthday is a week away!
To celebrate, I knew I wanted to share lessons learned at 25 with y’all because 25 is a momentous year. To all my online friends 25+, we’ve lived a quarter of a century. If that makes you feel old, I’m sorry, but I think it’s an accomplishment to celebrate. And I’m celebrating with you the way I like best: reflection.
The process of reflecting back on the year and compiling these lessons is a great, early birthday gift because it has made me even more grateful for my journaling practice.
I love journaling, bullet journaling, and writing morning pages because they record my thoughts, curiosities, and lessons throughout time. My journals are a snapshot of who I am at that moment and a progression of who I am becoming. If I didn’t have my journals and morning pages to look back to, I’m sure this post would have taken much longer to write.
Instead, I wrote this list of lessons the day after launching my blog and publishing my first post, a day when I was struggling with low energy and distorted thoughts. Reflecting on the lessons I’ve learned this year gave me the perspective I needed to acknowledge my cognitive distortions because, despite my depression telling me otherwise, 25 has been a wonderful year.
Most of these lessons come straight from my morning pages, word for word, so I have left them in chronological order starting around October 2018 to October 2019. I’ve also indicated lessons that were inspired by quotes or other sources. Now, let’s get straight to it.
Here are my 25 lessons learned at 25:
“The best time to start is before you’re ready.”
I’m not sure where I first saw this quote, but it is one that sticks with me whenever I need a little motivation to start.
Leap and feel the joyfear so you can bask in finding the joy at the other end of fear.
The term “joyfear” was coined by Leo Babauta, and this lesson comes straight from my morning pages a few days (or weeks) after first reading his article this year.
Start living for you, for you are your longest commitment.
“You are your longest time commitment,” is another quote—by an unknown author I would love to credit—that forced me to ask myself how I am living my life.
A consistency and modification mindset help better than sticking to the “rules,” especially when you’re just beginning.
Start small.
Live your truth and do what you love. Listen and follow your heart.
Lead by example without expectations that others will follow. Eventually, someone might.
Even if things blow up in your face, then at least you’ve tried.
If you can say, “I regret nothing,” that is success.
Thinking, if it’s not 100%, then it’s not a success, is a limiting belief. You define what success looks like to you.
See the world, meet people, and live a life bigger than the grind.
Even if that means exploring your own backyard, do it. Even if that means meeting people you already know, in-person or virtually, who you want to continue building a relationship with, do it. There’s more to life than your 9-5.
Death is a powerful motivator.
Bird by bird. One thing at a time.
There’s a book titled, Bird by Bird, that I have not yet read because I’m waiting for it at my local library. I actually learned this phrase from my previous manager, and it’s one that I repeat to myself whenever I’m procrastinating or overwhelmed because of fear, doubt, and anxiety.
Belief systems are complex. Rules and norms are created by others. Create your own.
Begin, and begin again. Master or attain whatever it is you’re after. Then, begin again.
Know your baseline. Identify your edges. Build up and expand from there.
Take any excuse to reset, re-energize, or recreate yourself.
You don’t have to wait for the new year, your birthday, or even a new week. You can do it now.
Seeing people you relate to, who look like you, in positions of power, influence, and leadership is important. If there are none, be that person for others.
Know and value the good, but that doesn’t mean disregarding all the bad.
You don’t owe anyone anything, especially if that means forgoing your soul or humanity.
Be a student and child of life. You will find that you can always return to innocence and wisdom.
Isolation is different from being alone with yourself. Choose the latter.
To know the truth about the world, start with self. To change the world, start with self. For when you start with self, you inspire and empower, you do not force.
The truth is we’re all flawed, but there is so much beauty in the imperfections if you only dare to get still, get quiet, and look.
Breathe easy. Find yourself in the moment, the ebb, and the flow. You may be surprised where the breath and the waves take you.
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I hope you enjoyed this post and if you did, I hope you join me on this next chapter in life. If you feel inclined, click on the heart, leave a comment, or subscribe below.
Thank you for reading! I hope you’re having a great October, and if not, I hope it gets a bit happier. There’s still half the month left to make it happen.