Sara du Jour

December 29th, 2014

23 Things I Learned by 23

About two weeks ago, I turned 23. Being 22 was wonderful. It was a year of new experiences, great memories, a few unexpected hurdles, and lessons learned. I’m sure 23 will be the same! A while ago I compiled a list called 22 Things I Learned by 22, and I thought I’d try my hand at it again this year. Here are 23 things I know to be true, so far. Have anything to add to my list? Leave it in a comment!

1. Don’t spend time with people who look down upon passion and excitement.
2. Trust yourself. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.
3. Spend time with the people you can be your silliest self around.
4. If you know in your heart you will regret not doing it for the rest of your life, for heavens’ sake, do it.
5. Optimism requires a great deal of faith and stubbornness. Believe in the best even when all the evidence seems to say otherwise.
6. Don’t give up hope on people. Including yourself.
7. Things that don’t last forever aren’t any less valuable or worth having.
8. Take your time to get to know people. Let people in when you are certain of who they are.
9. If you don’t want to go, don’t.
10. A certain amount of happiness can be bought.
11. Be generous with your time, but take care of yourself too.
12. Happiness looks different to different people. It’s okay if yours doesn’t look grand to others.
13. Sometimes life will kick you in the butt when you need a push to make a change.
14. Read the books you want to read, not ones that will make you look “smart” or “interesting”.
15. Rejection is life’s way of making sure you stay on the right path.
16. Be the kind of person you’d admire or fall in love with.
17. Being kind is always worth it, even when you don’t feel up to it.
18. Stay close to anyone and anything that makes you glad to be alive.
19. Surround yourself with what inspires you. We tend to become like the things and people around us.
20. Make an effort to listen to peoples’ stories. Everyone has one.
21. Anything can be survived with the right people by your side.
22. Leave room in your life for art.
23. Life is too short to spend it picking yourself apart.

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