10 Lessons in 20 Years

I am OFFICIALLY twenty years old… which is mind-blowing to me. The last twenty years of my life have been filled with more ups than downs, amazing times with better friends, and countless cups of coffee. And, of course, plenty of lessons. Today, I’m going to share 10 lessons I’ve learned in twenty years – some that I’m still working on today! So, grab a cup of iced coffee and let’s chat… I’m enjoying my free iced caramel macchiato from Starbucks!

1. True joy comes from within.

This has been such an important lesson for me to learn, especially in college. I think of myself as a positive person (hello, Sunny Side Cecilia) but I also know that life isn’t perfect… or anywhere near perfect. Instead of finding happiness in external circumstances, I look for joy by remembering my value in the eyes of God.

2. Choose kind.

This is my friend LB’s favorite quote – and for good reason. Every day we are given opportunities to make someone else’s day better through our actions. At the end of the day, I’d rather be remembered for being kind than being the most successful, or the smartest.

3. Surround yourself with a strong support system & be a strong supporter.

This past year especially showed me the importance of having a strong support system. When I found myself going through painful moments, my friends were there for everything. From bringing me freshly baked cookies to letting me vent, they showed me unconditional love. Then, when they went through their own heartbreaks, I was there for them.

4. If you want to do something, start now.

Instead of waiting until you have more time, or are more organized, take the first step to becoming who you want to be now. If you’ve always wanted to start a blog, don’t wait until you can hire a photographer – start writing those posts now! Instead of imagining a future time that you’ll finally achieve whatever it is, imagine a future time where you look back with gratitude that you started today.

5. Invest in what makes you happy.

And for this, I mean what makes you truly happy – not just passively entertained. Sure, I enjoy scrolling on Instagram or watching Netflix for hours, but at the end of the day, I feel much more satisfied if I’ve accomplished something that brought me true happiness. Whether that’s going out of my way to meet up with a friend, working on a creative project, or fitting in time to exercise, I know that I’ve put my happiness into my own hands.

6. Count it all joy.

Again, life isn’t full of only happy, Instagrammable moments – even if those are what we share. When I’m in a heartbreaking situation, or I feel like there’s no happiness, I try to keep in mind the quote “count it all joy.” To me, this doesn’t mean that I should fake happiness. It means that I should recognize where I’m at, and move forward, counting even the pain as a possible chance to grow. Not everything is joyful, but when I remember that each experience is shaping me to be a (hopefully) better person, I can keep the pain in perspective.

7. Keep everything in perspective.

Speaking of perspective… I think this is such important life advice – in multiple ways. First, I think when you keep everything in perspective, you’re able to empathize with others. Instead of being quick to judge, we can keep others’ situations in perspective and choose kind, even when kindness is the last thing we’re feeling. Secondly, and so importantly to me, keeping life in perspective means that I recognize how I’m feeling isn’t permanent. Life is full of ups and downs, which I like to remember when I’m in one of those downs.

8. Live with authenticity.

I LOVE authenticity. When I was younger, I never necessarily had the problem of trying to be something I wasn’t to try to fit in… Instead, I was very much myself but embarrassed of that. As I’m getting older and more comfortable with who I am, I realize that living authentically means knowing that others’ opinion has nothing to do with me. By being myself and being genuine, I find myself around other genuine people, which is so refreshing.

9. Find comfort with who you are, where you are.

Part of living authentically is being comfortable with who you are! Now, I’m not 100% confident in myself (and I don’t know anyone who is), but when I look back at my high school/middle school self, I wish I was more comfortable with who I was in that time of life. Even though seasons of life feel like they’ll last forever while I’m in them, when I look back I always find myself laughing at what I didn’t know yet. Now, I’m working on viewing each season of life – whether that’s personal or professional – as a season, not forever. Choosing to remind myself of this lets me appreciate where I am.

10. Show your love and gratitude whenever you can.

Invest in the people who support you in whatever way you can – whether that’s writing thank you cards, sending encouraging texts, or praying for them. My love language is words of affirmation, and I choose to use this whenever I can to show the people who help me how much I appreciate them. By slowing down and actually showing gratitude, I find that I’m more likely to recognize the good in my life.

So, there you have it. 20 years of my life condensed into 10 lessons! I am so incredibly grateful for the last 20 years, and I cannot wait to see where the rest of my life takes me. As always, thanks for reading!

xoxo, Cecilia