•F O R T Y •

In honor of my birthday today..

40 things I’ve learned in my 40 years, thus far..

Material things literally do not matter.
EVERY job you will ever have will be political. It won’t matter how much you do, or how good you are at your job, if you don’t have the right name, are from the right neighborhood, or from the right family.
Travel as much, and as often as you can. Get out and see the world.
Appreciate things and people. Even if it’s not reciprocated.
You don’t know everything and you’re not always right. Your way might not actually be the best way.
Body hair sneaks up on you out of NOWHERE. Those four pesky chin hairs are in it for the long-haul.. no matter how many times you pluck them. Make peace with this.
Having three true friends is better than having fifty acquaintances.
People are two-faced and fake af.. they’ll do and say whatever they have to, to keep up their “image”.
Stop trying to prove yourself to people who don’t matter.
Spend time in the woods.
Take pictures. So many pictures.
Kindness is everything and goes such a long way. One smile can change someone’s day. Plus.. hatred is so exhausting.
Not everyone deserves access to you. Save that for the people who matter.
Laugh hard and often.
Losing weight after 35 is HARD.. Eat the chocolate anyway 🤷🏼‍♀️
The Law of Attraction.
Having pets is like having children that never grow up.
You don’t need to post every detail of your life on social media. Most of your “friends” don’t actually care.
Play hooky sometimes and use 👏🏼 your 👏🏼vacation/sick time 👏🏼.
Mental health is so so important. Your surroundings, environment, job, friends, family, etc, play such a huge part in your well-being. Remove the toxicity and take care of yourself. And don’t feel bad for removing said toxicity ✌🏼
Cleaning is actually kind of therapeutic.
Never stop learning. Ask ALL the questions.
Quitting habits are hard, but extremely rewarding. You got this.
Never dim your light for anyone.
Find your person and never let them go. Love them with everything you have.
Don’t ever let your inner child die. Stay young forever. Life is short. Have fun.
Don’t take your bad day at work out on your loved one. That’s not fair to them.
Lift people up. Support them. Congratulate them.
Relax.
Carrying past trauma is damaging your present and your future. Work through it. Try to let it go. Go to therapy if you need to.
Be a little (or a lot) petty sometimes 💁🏼‍♀️
Date nights are important.
Change is good.. Take chances. Quit your job. Move to a different city. Get a divorce. Cut your hair. Try something new.
Be understanding.
Set goals and do everything you can to reach them and when you do, set some more. Repeat.
Be the same person publicly, privately, and personally.
Defend your loved ones behind their back. Don’t let someone disrespect them in their absence.
You’re never too old to change careers.
Patience is uber important. Practice it.
Communication is key. This is so hard for me. I’ve never been able to talk about things or what’s bothering me or my feelings.. but I’m working on it.

I could go on.. but, alas.. I said 40; I’ll stop at 40.

Getting older is inevitable. Time goes by faster every year. You gotta make the most out of every day. Find the good. There is always always always something to be thankful for.

Listen.. life be lifing sometimes. It’s not always rainbows and unicorns. Life is hard. I’ve been through a lot in my 40 years. Good and bad. Regardless, I will continue to try to be a positive for the people around me.

❤️