36 Powerful Lessons I Learned in 36 Years

This week I turned 36! I feel both old and young at the same time. I am forever a teacher at heart, and I could not keep these lessons I have learned to myself. I believe we should all take pride and ownership of the knowledge we find beneficial and pass it on to others.

Take and utilize the ones that speak to you the most.

1. Love yourself first; good things will follow
2. Respect yourself; you are worthy of beautiful things
3. Plan to leave a legacy that matters
4. Accept chaos and to-do lists in life; as long as you are breathing—it’s inevitable
5. Sleep is crucial for your well-being; learn to rest
6. Have compassion for others; you don’t know their story
7. Hold onto really wonderful friendships and work hard at them
8. Learn to say you’re sorry
9. Life moves fast; live a remarkable life. TRAVEL!
10. Choose your people wisely; the friends you have matter A LOT
11. Stop waiting for people to be something they’re not
12. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water a day
13. Eat more veggies; you only get one body
14. Let go of thoughts that don’t serve you well
15. Forgiveness always wins
16. Get rid of things that don’t bring you joy. Clutter takes up mental space
17. Treat people well
18. Pay yourself first, make your money work for you; purchasing stuff can wait
19. Read more books
20. Wear sunscreen. Your skin will thank you
21. Always own your circumstances and stay in the driver’s seat of your life
22. If you don’t like your job, find a way to leave. Life is too short
23. People treat you how you allow them to treat you
24. The habits you choose will make or break you
25. Get serious about your goals; no one will care about your dreams as much as you do
26. Strength train to keep your body strong, stretch to stay limber
27. Keep it moving; time waits for no one
28. Failing is not failing; it’s learning
29. Be of service to others
30. Find a higher power to believe in
31. Live life on your own terms
32. Treat your significant other with respect
33. Find a way to enjoy the process. We get one chance at life
34. Enjoy getting older; it’s a privilege
35. Breathe in longer, breathe out longer; it’s a gift every time
36. You matter—more than you know