Sunday 22 April 2018

50 life lessons

I love nothing more than the lessons life has to offer. Living with a 25-year older man has many advantages, but one of the most useful ones is life advice. He's made all the mistakes, and if he hasn't, his friends have. This doesn't necessarily mean that I won't make the same mistakes myself (after all, that seems to be the only way we humans learn), but at least I got a head start!
Here are 50 pieces of useful advice I've learnt thus far:


1. Believe in love.
2. When you find it, hold on to it and never let go.
3. Expect life to be hard sometimes. It will be.
4. Expect marriage to be hard sometimes. It will be.
5. Never give up. Brighter days will come! They  always do.
6. There will be pain in your life, because nobody gets away from that. But there will be so much more joy!
7. Never say no to a piece of cake or a glass of champagne.
8. Find a passion in life that makes you feel alive and do it often.
9. Stop dieting and start living. What counts in life are great experiences, laughter and friendship, not a random number on the scale.
10. Counting calories is a waste of your beautiful, creative mind.
11. Enjoy food. It's one of the greatest pleasures in life, and sharing a meal with others is one of the greatest joys. Don't ruin that for yourself by denying yourself certain foods.
12. Seriously guys, don't give up fresh, warm bread. It's one of the best reasons to be alive!
13. Never stop moving. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
14. When it comes to exercise: 10 minutes is better than zero minutes. This rule also applies to writing, house work, and personal hygiene. 
15. Don't worry about things that are out of your control, like the weather, other people, or whatever the latest trend is.
16. Don't give a shit about trends. Buy what you like!
17. Don't give a shit about fashion "rules". Wear what you like!
18. Don't believe the lie that aging is something to be ashamed of. Wear your battle scars (wrinkles, grey hair, stretch marks, etc.) with pride!
19. Other people's opinions about you have less to do with you and more with them. Feel free to ignore them.
20. You don't have to explain yourself to people. They are not entitled to know everything you do.
21. Stop buying stuff - it will weigh you down and stress you out.
22. Seriously: the more you have, the more you have to worry about.
23. When the sun shines, stop what you do, close your eyes, and turn your face towards its warmth. Repeat daily.
24. Listen to the birds sing.
25. Invite friends over even if your house isn't clean. If they're true friends, they won't care, and if they're not, who cares?


26. Spend more time with your loved ones, and less time working.
27. Work to live, not vice versa.
28. Do everything in moderation, including moderation (quote by Oscar Wilde).
29. If you need a day in bed, hiding away from the world, take it. You will feel better the next day.
30. Naps are the secret to a healthy happy well rested life!
31. There is no such thing as perfection.
32. Remember: 99% of what you see online is other people's highlight reel. Don't compare your everyday life to their highly edited, filtered, and censored moments.
33. Walk away from negative people. Life's too short for unnecessary drama. 
34. Don't try to "fit in". You will meet people you can be yourself with. Wait for them. They are worth it.
35. Stop trying so hard. Relax. Be yourself. You're amazing!
36. Forgive. Not for them, but for your own peace of mind.
37. Forgive your parents. They probably tried their best. Parenting is hard, and we all do the best we can.
38. Accept. There will be things in your life you wish you could change, but you can't. Accept it.
39. If you find the perfect black dress, buy it! Those are rarer to find than unicorns.
40. Ditto for jeans. The perfect pair of jeans is basically a myth, so if you find it, buy 5 pairs of them, become best friends with the store clerk, and have her email you every time they have a sale. If they do that, name your firstborn after them. She/he's worth it.
41. Don't focus on how you look in a swim suit. Jump into the water and focus on how amazing it feels against your skin!
42. Don't wait for your life to start 10 pounds from now. Live it now.
43. Don't ever deny yourself an experience because you think you don't look good enough. Do everything, right now!
44: Cooking a turkey dinner is a lot easier than it sounds. I promise! You got this.
45. If you're sad, cry. It will make you feel better.
46. If you're happy, dance! It will make you feel even more amazing!
47. Accept that you will never stop being scared. Face your fear, and do it anyway.
48. Write a list of everything you want in life. Then, work towards it. Trust me: writing that list will be the hardest part.
49. Get yourself a pet. Or better yet, many pets
50. Life is short. Go and live it NOW!



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8 comments

  1. Great list! I’ve been struggling a bit (both kids waking up at night so I’m not especially well rested) recently and some of these remind me that this is just a phase. I will sleep through the night again someday! And in the meantime I have so much to be thankful for. Even if I’m tired. :)

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    1. Oh I bet! Seriously, as much as I'm loving this current phase of my life, everything leading up to it (and the current situation as well, if I'm honest) has been intensely stressful. But that's the price we pay for the immense joy we also experience, isn't it? In the end, it's worth it.
      But it's also okay to cry in between, copiously. (Many times!)

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  2. Replies
    1. It's all thanks to my husband's mistakes - or mine 🙈

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  3. Great list Miriam. I agree that everyone should try making a turkey at least once. I made a goose once for Christmas stuffed with prunes and apples. Dan made fig pudding.... It was all so delicious!

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    1. That was one of the biggest surprises of my adult life so far! After the first successful turkey dinner back in 2003, I thought it was a fluke, and kept it to myself. But then I was able to replicate it again 5 years in a row from 2005-2010 (I was absent in 2004, and 2011 was a bit of a disaster), and ever since it's been good! It's safe to say that turkey dinners are, in fact, one of the most fool-proof dinners to cook! Despite all the holiday pressure. One of adulthood's best kept secrets.

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  4. Is it weird if I print this out and hang it on our front door?

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    Replies
    1. I would be HONORED! And weird is good ;-)

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