This past week I had the great opportunity to celebrate another year older and semi-wiser too. My birthday in the past was something that like anyone was overhyped with parties with family and friends, getting gifts, and the whole nine-yards. These days as an adult, married with a toddler, I tend to lean not only to simplify my birthday, not to mention my life. I simplify not to downplay my birthday or the chance to celebrate, as I feel life is meant to be celebrated not just for special occasions, but also to give myself the chance to pause and reflect.
I have had a couple friends and family members who passed away young, I have had multiple mental health episodes that have caused me to wonder about my role in this life and what it has to offer, and I have found myself rushing forward not allowing myself to catch my breathe and take a moment to look around at where I am right now.
All of these things in mind, the past few years have caused me to allow my birthday to make me more mindful and grateful of where I’ve been, where I am, and where I want to go moving forward in my life. I don’t want it to be loud for the sake of being loud to celebrate and make a fuss, I want to celebrate intentionally and take the time to embrace the phases, stages, and lessons that led me to where I am.
So today I’ll be taking you along with me as I ponder on 28 life lessons I’ve learned in the past 28 years of Earth life that have helped to mold, shape, and bring about who I am and am striving to be, as I make this life worth remembering, living, and celebrating.
1) Simple Living is More than a Trend
Every passing day, month, and year there is a ‘new’ trend in fashion, home, and mindset that can feel so overwhelming and even confusing as to which train to catch, leaving us far too often feeling like we’re sacrificing what we are or are not making a part of our lives.
Simple living is one of them, which is a shame as I have found for myself that it is not a trend as it is a call to action, to reflect on where we are and what brings value to our lives.
The noise of this world can drown out our purpose and the joy that this life is meant to give us. Not in the things or happenings alone, but in creating an environment and village of trusted loved ones that add meaning and peace to our soul.
I want more than anything to create a home and a life that is intentional, mindful, and not merely rushed, but one that I can look back on and want to remember with a smile not a moan.
2) Don’t Cry or Rage Quit Over Spilled Milk
While I was pregnant, I was a counselor for a youth camp for young women and during one of our pre-camp leader retreats, we were enjoying breakfast at one of the adult leader’s family cabins. Suddenly one of the youth leaders while telling a story waved her arm excitedly and spilled chocolate milk all across the table.
Without even missing a beat, I grabbed a couple of napkins with one hand and created a barrier before it could seep through the cracks in the table onto the carpeted floor. Everyone was impressed by my “spidey-senses” and complimented me on how that would serve me well when I had my own little one.
Fast forward to having an almost 2 year old and there have been many spilt milk moments, crayons used on the furniture or floor, messy diapers, and muddy clothes and shoes, and quite honestly I’ve learned quickly what is a big deal and what is not.
I’m not saying that I allow my child to just run a muck or that I don’t try to teach him where he can and cannot color, but accidents happen, mistakes are made, and I would rather laugh, reassure, and work as a team with my child to make it better than to cry or rage quit over “spilled milk”.
3) Waiting Brings Greater Happiness
I’ve always taken pride in how patient of a person I am and life likes to smile and take the opportunity to say, “oh are you now?”, and you can fill in the blanks from there.
The lesson of patience has played a key factor in my life especially in the last 6 years with working on my fiance visa to get married to my husband, moving to the States from Canada, being married to a firefighter, waiting for my green-card, renewing my green-card, saving up to visit home, being pregnant, and on and on the list of waiting moments go.
But a couple of years ago, I was striving to be better with our budget when I found a tip that I’ve been striving to put into my life as a whole. Instead of buying something right away, take a few days to wait and see if you still want it and if the purchase is still worth it.
Granted I am a penny pincher, but this instilled something in me about being better about where our money went and what filled our home. So I now have a note on my phone called “potential wants” and if there is something I want, I put it on the list and either take it off, buy it later, or save it for later on when we’ve saved the money and our situation is better suited for the purchase.
As in life, I’ve learned that the best things in life really do come to those who wait. However while waiting, I also believe that we shouldn’t just wait on the sidelines and do nothing. While waiting, we need to be actively engaged, not busy mind you, but active.
As we put in our best effort to do good and make our lives worthwhile now, it makes those things that we are waiting for that much more of a joy and a thrill to have.
4) Celebrate Often
You may have heard me say in the past that one of my favorite life quotes is “once you realize that you don’t need a special occasion to buy a cake, the second part of your life begins”.
How often do we wait to use that beautiful China from our grandparents and let it continue to gather dust in our hutches? How often do we say that we won’t get ice cream unless company comes? How often do we save celebrating of any kind is only meant for special, big occasions that come a few times a year and the rest of the year is spent humming and hawing till then?
I give you permission to use that China at dinner, your Grandma would appreciate that it’s being used and that you thought of her as you shared a meal. I give you permission to get your favorite flavor of ice cream as a way to make a good day better or to make a rough day sweeter. I give you permission to celebrate however you feel right to celebrate this life everyday not only when the calendar or commercialism tells you to.
5) Read Everyday
Growing up I was an avid reader and my Dad, recognizing this, spent time with me when I was twelve years old to read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Trilogy with me.
In the past few years, reading has been placed on the backburner not only as a habit but as a form of relaxation and entertainment. Last year I took the time to do some reading for work and realized how much I missed it, immediately setting a specific time and place for reading every day, even if it was only a couple of pages.
Even now, reading not only is an escape and means to learn, but has also lowered my stress and eased my anxious mind. Reading has been a healing balm and allowed my brain to be calmer, not to mention more able to let my creative juices flow in writing, coming up with ideas for activities to do with my toddler, and how to make my home an environment I can feel at peace in.
6) Self-Care is More than Bath-Salts, Pedicures, & Eating Chocolate
Now quick comment in regards to this life lesson’s title, I’m not a fan of bath-salts or bath bombs, pedicures are freaking awesome, and I’m a chocoholic. Now if you do or don’t enjoy any of those things, to each their own, but I want to address the fact that these trending self-care items are not the end all be all to taking care of yourself.
Self-care has more to do with being mindful of your current mental and physical needs, giving yourself permission to rest or to do the right thing for yourself, and taking the reins of your life in a more thoughtful manner.
Self-care can look like going for a drive and staring at the stars. Self-care can look like leaving that toxic work environment that isn’t serving you. Self-care can look like making baked goods for someone that needs it and making sure to save some for yourself. Self-care can look like going to bed at a decent time so you can be energized and well-rested for the day to come, aiding your positive, driven mindset.
Self-care is asking your mind and body what it needs and when it asks to simply be loved and appreciated, you take the steps to do so.
7) Asking for Help is Not a Sign of Weakness
As we grow up, we are given certain tools and resources to be independent, and are then encouraged in that direction. We are told no one else is going to do things for us, to stick up for ourselves, and later on that we’re adults and to make things happen on our own.
Being driven and self-reliant is a fabulous set of traits that’ll continue to serve us well throughout our lives. But when faced with true difficulty that is outside of our knowledge or comfort, when we feel burnt out and alone, or when we are drowning in overwhelm and stress, the voice of “get it done on your own” or “don’t ask for help, you don’t need it” rings far too loud.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness or inability, it is a sign of strength and humility. I have come face to face with such situations in the past few years with my career, with parenting, my mental health, and in my adulting journey and take pride in my independence and abilities.
But I have come to terms with the fact that I’m not meant to do everything alone, that it is ok to ask for advice, to ask for help, to ask for direction, and to then allow the aid to succor, direct, and guide me along.
8) Encourage Moments of Pause
In one of my toddler’s favorite children’s stories, it talks about what the author wishes for a child to know and to value in this life. One of those things is to have more moments of pause than fast-forwards.
That struck me as I thought how fast-paced this life can be, especially as we get older. We would do well to put our phones out of arm’s-reach and be truly present in the moment, rather than capturing and posting it on social media.
We would do well to take the time to watch the clouds pass by and to enjoy some much needed silence or to have a good talk with our children, partner, or friend. We would do well to slow down a little and to focus on the things and people that matter most.
9) Stay Hydrated
To truly take part in the many activities I love, not to mention staying healthy, the key to functioning at my very best is by staying hydrated. Now that may be a “no duh” statement but how often do we forget to do so? Do we really drink nearly enough fluids to cleanse and care for our bodies?
Having a water bottle by my side helps me to remember to drink up, clear my mind, and feel refreshed so to be at full capacity at what the day holds, plus it has helped clear my skin and better care for myself.
10) Be Kind to Your Body
Which leads well into this life lesson, to be kind to my body. I read a poem last year that talked about a conversation between a woman and her body. It was about the woman asking what her body needed. Did she need to diet, to exercise, to poke and prod it? Her body simply replied that it needed to be loved.
Now obviously eating well and moving our bodies is important, but if we’re constantly looking at what we need to change or what needs to be fixed, that’s all we will ever see: a gross, fixer-upper that can never attain to the unfair idealistic picture us and society have created. When at the end of the day, our bodies simply ask that we love them.
We teach our kids the multiple functions, importance of, and the great miracle of our bodies, but then shame our own. If we could choose to make the effort to look at our bodies with love, pride, and care as we encourage our children or a loved one to, we would more clearly see a body that has housed us, fought for us, carried us, and loved us all along and only asks for the same in return, stretch marks, scars, imperfections, and all.
11) Be Quick to Express Love
If life has taught me anything it is that it passes by much faster than we like and therefore it is better to express love than to degrade each other.
Gossiping, thinking ill of others, and choosing to be offended is a poor waste of time and energy that would be better used to understand, look out for, and express love.
If we wait until the perfect, opportune time or with huge, flashy gestures to express love, or only on birthdays and special occasions we will be missing countless opportunities to build self-esteem, heal a broken heart, and strengthen a bond that will serve those who not only mean the most to us but that truly need us.
Never put off the thought to reach out to someone, whether by sending them a message that you were thinking of them and you appreciate them, giving them a baked good, or spending quality time with them whether in person or even on FaceTime or Zoom, you never know the good that you do and the positive impact it’ll have on those you reach out to and serve.
12) Uproot Bitterness
When we are hurt, offended, and wronged by someone it is easy to let darkness and bitterness canker our souls. It is difficult to make the choice to even think of forgiving and uprooting the bitterness that sinks inside us.
Bitterness makes us feel justified in our negative feelings and mindset, not to mention as the saying goes “misery loves company”. It takes great effort and a shift in our mindset to begin the journey to healing and showing our bitterness not only the door but to stay out.
For years, a series of events and a couple people’s choices caused bitterness to sink deep into my core, and I came to notice that it not only shifted my views towards them, but it also altered how I looked at my life and treated those I cared most for.
Another version of myself came up that I didn’t like and I came face to face with the reality that I needed to change to heal. I couldn’t wait for time to make the pain ease or for those that wronged me to change let alone apologize, I needed to do it for myself. I needed to do it for my well being, so that I could be my true self.
I won’t deny that it has been a long, tough process, but one that has made me feel free and more able to breathe with such relief.
13) Forgive Yourself & Others
To tag team along with the last life lesson, part of uprooting bitterness is forgiving yourself and others, even if they don’t deserve it. Choosing to forgive allows you to unload the mental, emotional weight burdening you beyond relief.
You may justify choosing to forgive as not being worthy or as a sign of weakness. Before Nelson Mandela left prison he said, “As I stand before the door to my freedom, I realize that if I do not leave my pain, anger, and bitterness behind me, I will still be in prison.” Forgiveness does not make you weak, it sets you free.
I know this is all easier said than done, but the first step towards making this a reality is choosing to show compassion and encouragement, for others and for ourselves, over blame, belittling and demeaning.
Making that shift alone can allow us to pave the way for forgiveness to heal the wounds that run deep and that canker our souls, freeing us as we so deserve.
14) Take Time Everyday For Happiness
Life moves pretty fast and has endless demands that the least we could do is to do one thing that brings us joy so that we can unload and feel at ease.
It can be anything from making some of your favorite tea, coloring in a coloring book, watching your favorite movie, making your favorite meal, calling someone you love, going on a walk, going on a drive and watching the stars, taking a long, soothing bath or shower, going out to eat with others or even on your own, whatever.
I urge you to make the time! As a busy mother to a toddler and being an entrepreneur, making time for myself each day to do one thing that makes me happy has brought me great joy, has helped me to better appreciate my life, and to ease any stresses I’m experiencing.
15) Find at Least 3 Reasons to Be Grateful Each Day
A few years back, a friend of mine that I lived with for awhile started a little ritual where at the end of the day we would express three things that we were grateful for and three things we liked that the other person had done that day.
This may sound cheesy but quite honestly who doesn’t love a little cheese? At first depending on the day, it was hard to think of something good besides the general, everyday answers to give. But as this ritual continued, I noticed that I was more determined to look out for the good in my day and those around me.
I became more aware of the countless reasons to smile or to be grateful which also boosted my mood, brightened my perspective, and uplifted my heart. I found myself looking up so to speak and years later as I write in my gratitude journal at the end of the day, I know that as I intentionally write at least 3 reasons that I was grateful today, I’m reminded of how the good always outweighs or lessens the bad.
16) Be Mindful of the Good Rather than the Bad in Others
Sometimes it can be far too easy to complain or focus in on the bad, annoying, or lacking traits of others, especially those in your home or that are close to you.
We can take those we love most for granted when they are the ones that we should show the greatest love and appreciation towards. I noticed that any time I didn’t express regular thanks towards or looked for the good in those closest to me, that it was a reflection of my present circumstances or mood, not the person I was belittling.
I gave myself a challenge to look for the good and express it towards my husband, kiddo, parents, and siblings, and before I knew it, it spread towards everyone else I associated with and I felt no shortage of inexpressible joy towards my life and those I made the conscious choice to look for the good over the bad in.
You’ll notice that most of my life lessons have to do with a mindset shift, because making even a single step in a different direction, inching just a single degree off from your original course, sets you towards a completely different destination.
A destination that is far more worth your while and that gives you a far more fulfilling life that you can find peace and purpose in.
17) Cuddle & Hug Often
One of my absolute favorite parts of my day is getting to cuddle with my kiddo during story time or when we watch a movie. Spending that time with just the two of us lowers my stress levels and allows me to slow down as I take in these precious moments that pass far too fast.
Touch is one of my top love languages and because of it I’m known as being a huge hugger! But whether you’re a touchy-feely person or not, hugging and cuddling has proven to have countless advantages in bettering relationships, increasing your well-being, and making a world of good for one’s health.
Hugging alone lowers stress levels, expresses support and makes you happier, boosts your heart health, and feels oh so good! Cuddling, like hugging, lowers blood pressure, stress, and anxiety, boosts your immune system, and deepens your connection with those you love.
Every chance I get to hug and cuddle loved ones, especially my kiddo and husband gives me such relief and expands my love towards them. So I encourage you to hug and cuddle often, whether it’s your kids, your significant other, or even your pet.
18) Get Outside
Whether as a break from work or a project, to clear my mind, or just to enjoy the beauties of the world around me, every chance I get to be outside I take without a second thought.
Drinking in that vitamin D, breathing in the fresh air, and allowing nature to clear the mind and heal the soul is time well spent and does a world of good for our physical and mental health.
Everyday, my kiddo and I spend a few hours playing, exploring, going to the park, and/or going for a walk around our neighborhood, plus we take the time to go for a walk as a family at a local park. Being outside makes for fantastic quality bonding time together. We’re also greatly looking forward to the chance to go hiking as the trails clear up.
There’s something to be said for being outside! It clears the cobwebs in our mind like few other things can and makes us realize what a gift it is to be alive, soothes the soul, and puts things into perspective.
How often have you found peace of mind in cloud-watching, or felt your worries and woes become smaller and easier to bear after star-gazing, or felt energized and able to better face the challenge ahead after conquering a heart-pumping hike? I know I have, which is why Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote rings so true, “never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful”.
19) Be Intentional with Your Screen Time
Every second our ears and brain are filled with rings, dings, and buzzes calling for our immediate attention, and far too often we are more than willing to oblige to our devices call.
When I was in high school, I had no desire to join with the majority of my friends in getting a cell phone. I didn’t see the draw and was more than content to embrace my mental freedom.
When I did finally get my own phone in my early 20s, I recognized right away that if I didn’t set boundaries for my phone that I would succumb to the same whirlpool fate as everyone else around me.
Being intentional with your screen time by choosing to be in control of it, not it over you, gives you power and freedom, not to mention an increase of clarity and time. Plus you become far less stressed and anxious, and more present with those that matter most and far more aware of the world around you.
20) Breathe
I am a huge advocate in the power of slowing down and just breathing. The world we live in is so fast paced that it can be hard as we are swept up in it all to pause, to be still, to breathe.
Time and time again throughout my life I have found that the times I have felt overwhelmed and filled with uncertainty, the one thing that sets things into perspective and helped me to take the next right step was separating myself from the endless demands and doubts to breathe, even for just a few minutes.
Disconnecting from technology, from people, from events, anything that is causing you to feel low and that’s spiking your anxiety is a clear sign that you need to stop and breathe. You owe it to yourself, to your physical and mental health, your well-being, your present and future self to breathe. Just breathe.
21) Declutter Your Home
Now with this next life lesson, I’m not trying to convince you to become a minimalist or anything like that. What I am encouraging you to do is to take time as often as you can make the time to clear out your home, your mind, and your life to make room for what truly matters and is of value to you.
Being more mindful of what is taking up inventory in your home and in turn your mind will help you create an environment that you can feel peace and feel truly at home in.
From moving from Canada to the States and now in the span of almost two years, I’ve found that as I’ve taken the time to declutter my things, that I can breathe in my home, housework is not so tedious or overwhelming, I have more energy and drive, and I have more clarity to make decisions and enjoy the life set before me.
22) It’s Ok Not to Be Ok, But It’s Not Ok to Stay There
Before I delve into this life lesson, I want to make it clear that I’m not a licensed therapist or am authorized to tell you what is best for your personal mental health journey, I’m simply stating the following from my own experience.
I have dealt with depression and anxiety in varying degrees in the last few years. I have dealt with rough patches, bad days, and low points. I have grieved for people and longed for days past to the point that the ache has engulfed me making me feel like I was drowning.
The one thing that has helped me through any and all of these seasons of my life, however long they lasted for, was to acknowledge that what I was thinking and feeling was real and ok to feel. But that I couldn’t allow this hurt or this darkness to keep me with it, I had to keep things in perspective that this too would pass and that to truly move forward and to heal I couldn’t stay in this place in my mind, in my hurt, and in my despair.
If I could have a good cry and then stand back up on my own, great. If I had to be carried for a while or seek out help, great. Whatever had to happen to give me the aid and healing I needed, I had to accept so that I could truly move forward well.
At times this took a great amount of energy and shift in my mindset to make happen and certainly took varying degrees of leaps, bounds, or even crawling, but in time, and with determination, allowing time to stop and breathe as necessary gave me the opportunity to grow, be given help, and to then look back on those dark periods with grace once they passed.
23) Let Out Your Inner Child
One of my best friends once so eloquently told me, “Being a child is the one most important responsibility that we purposefully forget in order to live our difficult lives. Where’s the wonder when you’re in a stressful slumber?”
From when we are young, we are conditioned to think that when we become adults we’ll be able to do whatever we want, whenever we want, that we’ll have these perfectly put together lives, and live happily ever after.
Then we become adults and think, “I’m supposed to know everything and have all my stuff together? Well crap!” Life becomes too busy and too serious that we forget the importance of taking playing seriously.
Allowing our inner child to come forth to rejoice in this life, to learn to dance in the rain and in the sunshine come what may will do us such a world of good. We’ll be more apt to change, to be more creative, to not take this life for granted, and heck, be a whole lot happier!
24) Prepare For the Future to Bring Peace to the Present
When we’re young, we think we have so much time to plan, to prepare, and to face the many what-ifs that seem so far in the future. As the wife of a firefighter, I was faced with those far off what-ifs pretty quickly and realized how important it is to prepare so as to give yourself peace no matter what’s to come.
Setting aside time to regularly work on and update a budget for yourself or your family, writing a will and having it finalized, making sure your life insurance policy is set and what you want it to be, having those hard conversations of what could happen and making plans accordingly are all important and need to be done.
I know that all of these things may cause a lot of stress, feelings of being morbid, and raise up harsh emotions, but again, taking action far outweighs the confusion and overwhelm that could come from not doing so. As the age old saying promises, “if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear”.
25) Take As Many Mental Snapshots As You Do Photos
How often do we wish we could go back to the good ole days only to realize later that we were living in them? Fun fact about me is I’m a huge sentimental sap. I can easily spend hours gushing over old photos, home videos, old journals, or school yearbooks and not only love every second of it but feel it was time well spent.
But sometimes I spend so much time looking over the past and fantasizing what was that I either go between treasuring my present even more or wishing I could go back instead of being where I am. One time however when I was having one of those “woe is me, I wish I was back there” moments, I had a reality check while watching The Office (US Edition).
During Jim and Pam’s wedding episode, a ton of mishaps and crazy moments take place, but throughout Jim and Pam remind one another to take mental snapshots of the ridiculous, yet precious moments that ensue.
It was a loud and clear lesson for me to not take where I was for granted, that just as important was to live for today to make it worth remembering. So yes, take your photos and fill up your camera or phone, but also step back, live in the present moment, and embrace it fully before it passes you by.
26) Set Action Plans Not Merely Goals
Lately as I take the time to go over my list of to-dos, I’ve found that instead of making a list of nice ideas that might get done, that it’s far more efficient to create an environment and steps for me to actually succeed.
When we set up a system of action plans to succeed rather than setting goals and finding ourselves getting only half-way to where we want to be or leaving behind a trail of unresolved dreams, we’ll only be left feeling defeated, lose drive, and find ourselves wondering what the point is of even trying as we grumble along.
For instance, if you want to start learning a new language, instead of simply making that general goal and then have some motivation that lasts for a couple days or maybe even a week, set yourself up to take action from the beginning.
If you instead made the conscious decision to download an app or buy the edition of your favorite book in the language you’re wanting to learn and read it alongside your native language edition of said book, you would then set a time every morning to study after your breakfast.
You’d have said books on the kitchen table either set out the night before, have a reminder set to open your language app at 8:00am, and even have a set reward in place that will be achieved once you take the time to learn and study. Taking such steps and action plans will allow you to be far more apt to do them, complete them, and even want to take part in them. Success and creating good habits along the way will make you feel oh so good!
27) Be a Lifelong Learner
If we leave all of our learning to school alone, we will lose out on incredible opportunities to try new things, enhance skills, be curious, go outside of our comfort zone, network with incredible like-minded people, and enjoy life at a fuller rate.
I love to read, to watch documentaries, to learn facts about World War II, my favorite authors, and the behind the scenes of movies, and human behavior and how the mind works. I enjoy listening, researching, and delving into intelligent, meaningful conversations with others on countless topics. All such things greatly fascinate me!
Being a lifelong learner gives you greater empathy for people, satisfaction and awe for the world we live in, and is so gosh darn fascinating and satisfying, at least for me. I embrace my nerdiness fully, as should you!
28) Engage in Regular Acts of Kindness
Some of the best times in my life have been when I have forgotten myself and got lost in serving those that need my love, time, and attention. Engaging in regular acts of kindness can lift others and do a world of good for ourselves, which is a win-win situation for everybody for the better.
Lifting where we stand so to speak, unites us to do good and to be good. Doing something as simple as sending a message to someone that comes to our mind, paying for the person in line behind us as we get a hot beverage or a meal, creating baked goods or other handmade item of goodness with our family for someone, visiting someone who is lonely, donating blood, or any number of acts of kindness can lift our hearts, lift the hearts of those we serve, and make the world a much happier, sweeter place to be a part of.
Look for opportunities to serve and be kind, add the app Just Serve that lets you know what service opportunities there are in your local area, brainstorm as a family, and you’ll be amazed at all the good you can do. Let the good times roll forth!
BONUS: You Can’t Go Back, Only Forward
Just when you thought the life lessons plethora had come to an end, BOOM SIKE! My bonus life lesson that I have come to better understand and take to heart especially recently has been you can’t go back, only forward.
Going through countless forms of change, losing loved ones, becoming a wife and mother, and just simply from getting older and living life, I have had a hard time allowing change to take its course, let alone to embrace it.
I once had a friend who urged me to embrace change, and my response back was that I would rather give it an extended handshake every now and again. However, in case you didn’t already know, newsflash: change is inevitable in this life. Crazy fact I know, but it’s much harder to accept than to know.
As I was watching my kiddo riding his bike about a week ago, I thought back to being not much older than my kiddo was now riding my bike in my grandparents backyard. This ten led me to imagine my grandparents home, which led to my high school not far from their home, which led to my childhood friends and all of our shenanigans, until I snapped into reality of where I was at that moment.
There was nothing wrong with thinking back on those times and even aching for them, but obsessing over them and missing out on the right here, right now was a tragedy and wouldn’t serve me.
With mindfulness, I invite you to live for today, learn something new, choose happiness, be still, be kind, be grateful, breathe, and move forward as best you can, one foot in front of the other. For as I’ve come to find time and time again over the course of my 28 years of living this life, it truly is worth living.
As I have become another older, I am indeed so very grateful to have the opportunity to still be here. Here’s to 28 more years to live, learn, celebrate, and love dear friends! Let us live them well to the best of our abilities.
Now I’d love to hear from you: what has been a lesson you’ve learned in your life?
Please share in the comments below and share this post if it has been of value to you or could be to someone else.
About the Author
Hi there! I’m Stephanie Tracy, a freelance writer, and blogger for hire. I specialize in physical and mental health, parenting, and self-development. I create engaging, inspiring and useful content to help businesses progress in making their viewers into customers. When I’m not writing, you can find me happily playing with my toddler, walking in the park with my family, or indulging in a movie marathon with my husband.