Getting older is a privilege and I believe this more and more as I get older.
With age comes more confidence and peace. I fully believe the saying, with age comes wisdom. I love being me now. I love this version of me.
I don’t want to miss the beauty of now: the wisdom I’ve acquired and the sense of self I’ve developed over the years.
One of the most important things I have learned is to learn to love yourself now.
One of the great things about having a birthday around the holidays and towards the end of the year, is I get to do all of my reflection and resetting at once. And, since I am celebrating my 44th birthday, I want to share with you 44 Things Life and Business Have Taught Me.
Injuring yourself now happens when you yawn, sneeze, turn your head, or move any part of your body.
Trust your intuition. That gut feeling, that's real.
I can’t tell you enough how tired you’ll be.
You are not defined by a number. Whether it's the number on the scale, your jeans, or your followers on social media. You are so much more than that.
You’ll become much more interested in learning, more than you were when it was required.
Your kids will start to experience hurt, feelings of being left out, and or heartbreak which means you will too. There is nothing you can do to prevent it. And it sucks.
You are responsible for your own happiness. Nothing can truly make you happy, it's an inside job. No amount of money, not a person, no outside thing can make you happy. You will constantly be chasing something in life if that's what you're doing.
If you have kids in the preschool and elementary school age group, volunteer in their classroom. You will receive so many honest compliments from these little kids it will just light you up. It’s rejuvenating and memorable.
Now that your kids are old enough to stay home alone, you’ll either be too tired to stay out past 9:30pm or you are your kids Uber driver running them to and from their activities and functions.
Stop looking at what other people are doing. Stop comparing yourself to others. Remember Instagram is a highlight reel.
Don’t take things too personally. If someone doesn't text back right away realize it's not about you.
The fashion of your childhood will be popular again. Hello 90's!
Find time for yourself–Especially if you're a mom, wife, and businessowner.
Learn how to say NO–stop giving a piece of yourself to everyone all the time. Protect your time, mental health and energy by saying NO more often.
You can't please everyone, so stop trying. You'll end up losing yourself along the way.
Said by Glennon Doyle . If you have to choose between disappointing yourself or someone else, always choose to disappoint someone else.
Payattentiontohowpeopleactwhentheyaredrivingandhowtheytreatorreacttootherdrivers.Samegoesforhowsomeonetreatsservers,hospitalityworkers,cashiers,etc.
Do not be impressed by someone's money status, car, looks, social media following, job title, etc.
Same goes for yourself. No-one cares about where you went to college, your GPA, your career, how much money you make. It's how you treat people that matters.
Take time to really understand your finances. It's not about making money. It's about savings. Have a savings account, if you have kids start a college fund when they are babies. Have money for your retirement.
Invest in yourself and your business You’ll find most things online for free but it’ll take you years to figure everything out. Start investing in yourself by enrolling in workshops, online courses, hiring a mentor or a coach. You're worth it and so is your business.
Start your day with three things you are grateful for everyday and your mindset will shift.
Learn to meditate and practice journaling. Trust me, the benefits are absolutely amazing.
Don't be so quick to judge others.
Thoughts become things. Choose them wisely.
It's okay to go to therapy.
Find people who celebrate your wins. And make sure to also celebrate theirs and celebrate your own wins.
Imitation and copying will happen as adults, especially in business. It hurts but remember imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Know your worth. Don't let anyone get comfortable disrespecting you. We teach people how to treat us.
REST
Burnout is real. Take care of yourself.
Apologize when you are wrong. Even to your kids.
Our kids are always watching us.
Tell the people in your life you love that you love them.
It's ok to start again, leave a job or career, end toxic relationships with friends, co-workers, family, etc.
Be willing to learn and grow.
Ask for what you want and believe you are worth it!
Find your circle of friends.
Progress not perfection.
Set boundaries when you are young.Be consistent and don't let people take advantage of you. Being nice is one thing but make sure to protect yourself from being walked on. No-one is a mind reader also. Ask for what you want and need.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Stop obsessing over vanity and your weight!
You're stronger than you think.
It’s OK to start over and try new things. What you once loved and you thought you wanted might not seem that great anymore as you get older. You will continuously evolve and grow. Maybe even out grow people, places, and things and that is ok!
After looking back and writing these lessons down, I realized I hope to instill these lessons in my daughters now so that they will always know their worth.
Take care of yourself, become a better person and know that life is fleeting.
I am still growing, learning, and evolving and I welcome it with open arms.
Cheers to another healthy and vibrant year my friends.
What have you learned this past year? Which life or business lesson above resonates with you the most?