As women, our twenties are a time of change, experience and growth. As we go though our roaring twenties, we sometimes need a little bit of guidance when it comes to life itself. With regard to daily life, we sometimes overthink and we sometimes make things priorities that shouldn't be. We are adults who are creative, successful and determined; we want to be heard and we want to create ourselves into the best possible version of women that we can be. Regardless of what we already know, at times we need to be reminded of the following things that we are slowly (but surely) learning!
1. Don’t revolve your life around a guy who doesn’t give you the time of day.
If someone is interested, they will make time in their schedule to spend with you. Don’t waste another moment of your life wondering what he is doing or if he is thinking about you or not. Don't chase a man who doesn’t make you a priority- you are worth it to have someone who appreciates you and wants to make you feel special.
2.Your best friends are your soulmates.
Who are the ladies that are always there for you when you need them? When you go through a bad breakup, they are there with the wine and ice cream. When you are celebrating a birthday, they are there cheering you on and making you take that extra shot. When you need to relax and talk, they are there with an open mind, listening ears and good advice. Make sure you tell those go-to ladies that you appreciate them!
3. Love yourself the way you are.
As women we aspire to be our best, but we also aspire to be like the women on magazine covers. The unrealistic standard that is upheld by media gets to us- and that is not the way we should want to live. Happiness is not determined by your outer appearance and if you approve of yourself or not. True happiness comes from within and it means you know that you are confident in yourself. We were all made different for a reason- why try and change ourselves to fit and conform to a norm of society?
4. Live in the moment, not in your phone.
Stop taking videos at concerts. Are you really going to watch the 15 million snapchats you took next week? Stop using social media as a way to prove to others your exciting life experiences. I promise you that the memories of the experiences are far better than some staged and documented social media story.
5. Don’t worry, be happy.
Take a deep breath, relax and stay composed. When you are stressing big time over something, work to change it. If it cannot be changed, accept it and move on with it. Chances are, if it won’t matter to you in five years, it is not worth stressing over. Don’t let it make you feel like it is the end of the world. Realize everything in your life that is good, and chances are all the good will outweigh the bad.
6. If you love someone, tell them.
This can go for romantic relationships as well as familial relationships. There is nothing better than the feeling of being loved and appreciated. Why not share that with the people you love? Your significant other could be feeling the same way- the best way to communicate effectively is to be straight up and honest. Your fam will appreciate a little love, too!
7. It is never too late for change.
So you want to open your own restaurant? Do it. You want to create your own fashion line? Do it. You want to be closer with your family? Do it. Whether its academic, personal or work related, it is never too late to pursue what you really want in life. You only get one shot at life, so why not give it your all and truly be happy?
8. Games are for children... Don't "ghost"
Don’t “ghost” people. Just flat out don’t do it- have the adult mindset of partaking in a conversation with the person that you no longer want to see. Don’t just up and leave without a word or reply. It is common courtesy to communicate and get the way you're feeling off your chest. Nothing is worse than wondering what went wrong- all it does is lower your self confidence. If you get “ghosted”, don’t let it affect you. Chances are if they are rude enough to “ghost”, who knows what else they are capable of and you should be glad you caught it early on. #BoyBye
9. Don’t be afraid to make the first move.
Confidence is sexy. Don’t be afraid to go after what you want, ladies. There is nothing wrong with a girl approaching a guy and asking him out. As women, if we step outside the barriers of social norms, why can’t we step outside this one too and not wait around for the man to ask you out? Worst case scenario he has a girlfriend, but hey, at least you tried and you got a rush of excitement and confidence out of it!
10. You are someone else’s reason to smile.
Lastly, never forget that you make others smile. Whether it be your family, your friends or a stranger, you create lasting impacts on people every day. That time you held open the door for a girl on crutches, she instantly had a better day. That time you bought your mom flowers just because, she smiles because she knows she raised a thoughtful lady. Don’t be afraid to make a difference in other people’s lives because yes- it does make a lasting impact and you never know how someone is feeling on any given day. A kind act can go a long way!