21 lessons - a motivational image of a sunflower with the phrase "Always room to grow"

January 20, 2020, by Issy

21 lessons I’ve Learnt about Life, Love and… Mooses.

Tomorrow is my 21st Birthday. Which feels very, very strange. Partly because the responsibilities are now stacking up and the whole ‘being independent’ thing is no longer exciting and instead something I am ‘expected’ to do. Who knew?!

So, in procrastination over doing said responsibilities, I thought I would share 21 things I have learnt about myself and the world in general, for every year I have been a part of it. Enjoy the ride.

  1. There are few things better in life than getting stuck into a good book, which I physically cannot put down.
  2. Except maybe a cold fruit smoothie after exercise.
  3. Or dogs. I really love dogs. 
  4. When I don’t have the energy or motivation to get up and do anything, especially exercise, that is my body telling me I need to do said exercise more than any other time.
  5. If I have an ‘off’ day, its okay, and it doesn’t mean I am the world’s worst person.
  6. The person I think is annoyed at me, probably isn’t.
  7. Same goes for the person I think is judging me for what I look like.
  8. I don’t have to be perfect all the time. ‘Good enough’ is literally good enough.
  9. I hoard reusable water bottles and need to be stopped from buying them in supermarkets.
  10. I also need to be stopped from buying chocolate trifles. They are just so… beautiful.
  11. I do not need to rely on others for validation. I need to trust that I will be ok if I go with my heart. 
  12. One of the best therapies is talking to others about how you feel, but… 
  13. … one of the hardest things to do is open up to others. But it’s so, so worth it. 
  14. One bad result, or grade, or mark is not a reflection of you as a person. It doesn’t mean you are a failure.
  15. Whoever said it was impossible to lick your own elbow is wrong. My brother is proof of that.
  16. A moose is not the same thing as a mammoth, and they do in fact exist. Reference: Canada.
  17. I really need to learn how to use a citation software because I learnt the hard way how long it takes to manually cite all references used in a dissertation.
  18. Food poisoning is highly unpleasant and I should not buy undercooked chicken abroad and then continue to eat said chicken regardless. 
  19. I don’t have to base my self-worth entirely upon that one negative comment I got about 9 years ago and have since manipulated into a major catastrophe when in fact it was just a little blip.
  20. School PE is not the only sport that exists in the world and that you can be good at. If netball isn’t the one for you, who’s to say showjumping isn’t?
  21. Do not walk behind a horse.
Posted in Issy