^^The photo my mom chose to share on Facebook. Me Throwing my "paddy"...not much has changed!
Today, I turn 36. (What a depressing sentence that is! One step closer to 40....although I've crossed 10 things off my 40 Things Before 40 List since last year so that's not bad going!)
And if you've turned 36 yourself, you'll probably understand what I mean when I say that this makes NO SENSE to me...I still don't even feel like a real adult most days - I feel like an 18 year old playing the Mummy part. I can still remember all of the words to the Gladiators theme tune, my heart still skips a beat whenever I see Mark Owen on TV, and I'd still rather spend all of my money on chocolate than on ornaments and flowers for the house ...HOW can I possibly be a 36 year old fully fledged grown up?! Surely there's been some mistake?!
If you've yet to reach your 30s, then trust me...36 is going to be here before you know it so don't go feeling all smug and young because that youth is going to be snatched out of your wrinkle-free fingers before you can say Tena Lady, just watch!
As I've now had 36 of these birthdays...and four of them since starting this blog...I'm running out of fun birthday posts to write, and so when I stumbled across the gorgeous Lucy's post on her blog Mrs H's Favourite Things about life lessons she'd learnt...I thought it was fantastic, and that today was the ideal time to write my own list.
So without further ado, here they are....36 lessons I have learned about life (some of my own, and some of my favourites from others) in my 36 years on this planet.
1. Wear the comfiest shoes, not the prettiest ones. You'll never regret comfy shoes.
2. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
3. The best way to do something is to just do it...not spend days worrying about the perfect way to do it. Just get it done.
4. You can't read peoples minds, so stop thinking that you know what everyone thinks about you.
5. You are your own worst critic.
6. Dance...whenever the chance arises.
7. Music soothes the soul...on your darkest days, play your favorite songs and everything feels just a little bit brighter...even if only for a moment.
8. Do the things you want to do, don't wait for the "right time". If you wait, all that happens is that you get older...
9. If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse.
10. You are never too old to have a new dream.
11. A lion doesn't lose sleep over the opinions of sheep..in other words, who gives a shit what anyone else thinks of what you do or what you want to do. The only opinion that matters is yours.
12. Dessert is always a good idea.
13. The things you think are super important when you're a teenager, you probably won't even remember when you're older...
14. Bullies never prosper
15. Manners cost nothing and mean everything
16. It's better to fail in originality, than to succeed in imitation.
17. Be more Elsa...and let it go!
18. You regret the things you don't do far more than the things you do
19. Stepping out of your comfort zone now and then is exhilarating and totally worth while
20. A little kindness can go a long way...always make the effort, smile, say hello, do what you can
21. Don't save everything for special occasions...every day you're alive is a special occasion. Eat the cake, wear the fancy knickers, use the good plates.
22. Be who you want to be, not who you think you should be.
23. Whenever anything goes wrong in your life, ask yourself "How much will I care about this in 5 years time?"
24. Take the time to have fun with your kids...you'll never regret the time you spent, only the time you didn't.
25. Having said that, don't feel guilty for having to work or take some me time either....you have to do what you have to do.
26. There are no awards in parenthood. Raise your kids the way that makes you and them happiest. The rest is just noise.
27. Try to spend less time judging, and more time trying to understand.
28. Stand up for what you believe in and don't depend on other people to do it for you.
29. Live for today...one of my favorite quotes is this from John Lennon "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans" - Was a truer word ever spoken?!
30. If you don't ask, you don't get.
31. You can't please all of the people all of the time...so you might as well please yourself first!
32. Treat others as you'd like to be treated yourself.
33. The above does not apply to arseholes. Give arsholes zero time...life's too short for bullshit and drama!
34. A good movie can change your mood...so when bad days happen, always watch La La Land, Grease, Breakfast At Tiffanys or The Sound Of Music and remember that life is good (well...apart from the Nazis...)
35. Perfection doesn't exist. In any aspect of life.
36. Age is just a number. I don't feel any different than I did at 18, and I certainly don't have any more answers about life....so don't waste time worrying about getting older. What's the other option?!
I'd love to hear your own favorite life lessons in the comments below! Here's to another year!
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