In celebration of my 23rd birthday, I’ve decided to share with you 22 things I’ve learned throughout the past few years and possibly something you may relate to in terms of career, relationship, money and mindset.
- Age is a state of mind.
“Perceived age is more important than your date of birth”.
Considering your health, cognitive function, and disability rates play a huge role in telling how old you really are. A good example is Jlo, in her 50s, celebrating life like she’s in her 30s: goes to gym 3-4x a day, sleeps at least 8 hours, a vegetarian and such… Lifestyle is key.
- You will lose friends in your 20s
This is the age where individuals decide who is most important and valuable in their life — they make an effort to keep them.
- Self-love is everything.
They say “love yourself first before someone else”. Take care of your mind, body, and soul like you give a damn about yourself.
- It’s okay to say NO.
You can be a good person with a kind heart and still say No. Say No without feeling guilty. It’s healthy to build boundaries and know your limits.
- In your 20s, it’s alright to not have figured it all out.
This is a period of being spontaneous with your moves. It’s okay to jump from one career to another. Find your passion and it’s no longer work.
- Don’t chase, attract.
What belongs to you will always find you. Be a good example; keep hustling and become the best version of yourself.
- Saving money won’t help; building assets will.
Anything you put in your pocket is considered an asset. Anything that goes out is a liability. Don’t work hard, work smart.
- Gratitude always.
There’s always something to be thankful for. You have your friends, family, health, the list goes on… Gratitude attracts more blessings.
- Mindset and work ethic is unbeatable.
You become a master of your life once you learn how to control where your energy and attention goes. While the others are sleeping, keep hustling.
- Don’t beat yourself up.
You can either get stuck in the past or learn from it. You are a work in progress. You get there little by little not all at the same time.
- Life is not a race.
Slow down. You’re on a racetrack that doesn’t exist.
Be happy with all the things you’ve accomplished rather than dwelling on what you think you should have already completed.
Relationship-wise, I’ve read an article once saying
“There are single people who want to get married, and married people want to be single”. It’s a different story for everybody.
- When you stop learning, you stop growing.
Education doesn’t stop in school. There’s a lot more to it. Self-education is key to success. The more you read, the more you learn, the more you discover.
- Depend on no one but yourself.
You are much more capable than you think. Also, think of this: If you’re able to adapt through the changes in your life and learn how to live in solitude, you become unstoppable.
- Travel a lot.
Money will come back, time won’t. Travel to places as much as you can while you can still walk because when the time comes, you’ll have memories to look back and moments to cherish.
- Invest in yourself.
Keep reading. Meditate. Eat healthy. Stay hydrated. Workout. You are your biggest investment. Do something today that your future self will thank you for.
- Know your worth.
Find the courage to leave the table if respect is no longer being served. Never settle for less than you deserve.
- Busy doesn’t always mean being busy.
No one is really busy, it depends which level you’re on their priority list. There’s always a way; one will simply make time.
- Go out, meet people.
There is a whole world out there. Nothing more exciting than meeting people and hearing their stories. There’s no better way to learn than exploring new places and learning from their experiences.
- Be open to constructive criticism.
I learned this the hard way. I always thought constructive criticism as pointing out someone’s flaws and being defensive. Turns out, we need feedback for constant improvement and growth.
- Having a great IQ isn’t enough, Emotional Intelligence is needed for balance.
EQ gets you through life, while IQ gets you through school. It goes hand in hand especially when making decisions.
“IQ may get your foot in the door. EQ will determine how far you go”
- Your intuition never lies.
Trust your gut. Energy doesn’t lie. Don’t confuse their voices for your own. The truth lies deep within.
- Possibilities are endless.
Just go for it. Take a leap of faith. Often people are scared of the unknown. Making a big life change is scary. But, you know what’s even scarier? Looking back and regretting things you wish you could have done in the past.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please recommend and share it to help others find it!
Haina Uddin 
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