I Recently Turned 28 — Here Are Some of The Most Important Lessons I've Learned.

Life will be what you make of it — for better or worse.

I'm so glad at twenty-three years old, I looked in the mirror and was honest about how unhappy I was with myself and the direction my life was going.

Why? Doing this allowed me to change course. I recognized and became aware of what wasn't working and made a conscious decision to change it.

This is one of the main reasons I’m writing.

I want to help anyone, and everyone become aware of what needs to change in their lives and inspire them to move in a different direction.

It saved my life.

So, with that said, after five years of taking the blindfolds off, here's what I've learned.

Your thoughts are POWERFUL.

What you think about yourself and the world will determine what's possible for you.

Your thoughts tell you who you are and what's important to you — your values and beliefs.

They shape your perspective and, therefore, your reality.

This is a double-edged sword. If you think good thoughts, odds are they will lead to good actions that will ultimately lead to good results.

But if you think negative thoughts, don't be surprised if you get a negative outcome.

So what's the point of all this? Don't let your thoughts and unchecked ideas control you; control them instead.

This is why affirmations, podcasts, books, etc., exist. Our thoughts and ideas can be fickle and tell lies about who we are and what we're capable of.

Maybe the lie you're telling yourself is that you're not good enough, confident enough, or prepared enough. Those things don't matter. What matters is if you're willing to take action.

This is the point where many of us syke ourselves out and stop ourselves from taking a leap of faith.

Don't stop. Take the leap. Close your eyes and go for it.

It's easier said than done, I know.

But after years of holding myself back, I've learned I would rather try and fail over and over than not try at all and never find out what I'm truly capable of.

Odds are, you'll be surprised at yourself when you step out of your comfort zone and prove to yourself how capable you are.

What you do, no matter how small it may seem, matters.

I used to think my small acts of kindness were insignificant.

Funny enough, after working as a bartender for almost two years now, I've come to appreciate the small gestures.

A smile, a kind greeting, a simple compliment, speaking to someone respectfully, etc. They genuinely do make a difference.

I love being aware of this because I'm constantly putting my life, thoughts, and ideas into perspective.

This is a huge advantage in any area of life because I can see the same idea from multiple points of view.

It's also helped me develop this profound gratitude for life and the small, intangible acts that will make a massive difference in the future.

But we'll never know because those acts are so small compared to all the other things happening simultaneously.

This is a philosophical conversation, but it's one worth having since so many of us are struggling with our identity and contribution to a world that seems to be falling apart.

So, no matter how small you may think your actions are, know they do matter.

Life will always be an unexpected rollercoaster — roll with it.

Life is unpredictable, and trying to plan everything out to the smallest detail is a waste of time.

I thought I had my life more or less figured out by the time I was twenty-two.

At twenty-three, I hoped that things could change and I could take my life in a completely different direction.

At twenty-four, I lost hope that my future was worth fighting for and that I should settle for what everyone else had.

At twenty-five, I didn't know if there was a future anymore because the world had fallen into absolute chaos (the pandemic).

At twenty-six, my world was flipped upside down unexpectedly. But in turn, I got what I wished for most — my freedom.

I've said this before in other blogs: I moved out at twenty-six during a very chaotic time in my life. I didn't expect to make this move then, but it was new and exciting even amid the chaos.

I dreamed of becoming independent, having my own space, and feeling like a competent adult.

I'm twenty-eight now, and the only thing I can think of is I was capable of this much sooner than I thought — I could have moved out years ago.

However, due to my self-limiting beliefs, I didn't do it. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to figure it out. I doubted my ability to adapt and make things work.

But never again. I know now what I'm capable of, and no matter what comes my way, I know I can roll with the punches. You can, too.

Enjoy the little moments with good people, even if you're not close — those moments are still special.

I celebrated my birthday exactly a week ago from today (the day I'm writing this blog).

I didn't plan anything significant — just dinner with my boyfriend and mom.

But a few unexpected and lovely things did happen.

My boyfriend got to the restaurant before my mom and I, and he set up everything for us — it felt like we were superstars getting that kind of attention and service.

The highlight of the night was watching my coworkers (we went to one of the restaurants I work at) bring out two cakes lit with way too many candles and sing Happy Birthday at the top of their lungs.

Even though my coworkers are not my best friends, the gesture was still one of the sweetest ones I saw that day.

I didn't ask them to do all this, but they still went out of their way to do something special for me — that meant a lot.

This made me reflect on how often we downplay these moments of pure bliss and joy just because they're not exactly how we pictured them.

Too often, we rob ourselves of feeling deep gratitude and joy for life because we think the moment is supposed to look or play out differently.

It's time to stop doing this and enjoy life for exactly how it is and how it plays out.

Let's stop robbing ourselves of joy and happiness.

Take your health seriously. It's one of the few things that truly matters.

My struggles with my digestion have taught me that health should be one of our top priorities no matter what stage in life we're in.

If you're not looking out for your health first, you can't look out and be on top of all the other responsibilities and goals.

I remember every area of my life was impacted negatively when I was at my worst.

I didn't feel inspired to write, I was barely making it through my shifts at work, and my relationship was suffering because I had no energy or desire to connect with my partner.

I even felt like my future wasn't worth fighting for if this was all it would be — feeling sick and tired all the time.

During this time of frustration and occasional hopelessness, I learned that nothing matters as much as my health.

If I don't take care of the mind and body I have now future me will pay a very hefty price.

Don't take your health for granted, especially in the United States.

Unfortunately, because of our government's poor regulations, we must be extra careful of what we consume.

Get educated, and go out of your way to ensure you and your household are the healthiest it's ever been — your future will thank you for doing this.

I would like to share more lessons, but these are the top 5, and anything else would stem from these.

I hope these reflections can help you, and thank you for reading!