Taylor Swift has always been known for her candidness, as her lyrics have always remained something of an open book. From the start of her career, Swift has offered open and honest recollections of heartbreak and hurt in every sense of the word, not only reflecting on this, but also welcoming her fans to join her in doing so.

'Elle' Magazine has chosen Taylor as the April cover star, and along with this, Swift crafted an essay reflecting on 30 staple things she learned ahead of her 30th birthday, which she will be celebrating in December. Personally, I love content of this sort, because I find it really interesting to listen to someone talk about the life lessons they have learned thus far and how they learned them. I am someone who is really interested in other people and their perspectives and feelings, so I was immediately intrigued by this essay. However, I made my best attempt to remain objective and set aside both my longterm love for Swift as well as my love for this type of content, because I like to approach content in a non-biased way.

That being said, after reading this piece, I wholeheartedly believe it is worth the read. From insecurities and social media, to being taken advantage of, to apologies and self-acceptance, Taylor tackles it all, and offers her readers brave and honest insight and advice.

The first thing on the list is that Swift says she learned to "block some of the noise". In saying this, she is referring to social media and all of the praise that may come along with it. Swift says she is "training my brain to not need the validation", and I honestly think this is something almost all of us could benefit from. Social media is very much a part of our everyday lives, and it is easy to get sucked into it. After posting something to your socials, you might find yourself constantly refreshing to see who the latest like or comment is. Not only is this really a waste of time, but it can also contribute to negative and unhealthy mindsets and mentalities. For example, noticing the absence of someone's interaction with your post, or receiving negative feedback on the photo rather than positive feedback can result in a negative mindset. Or, as Swift explains, finding yourself craving the validation of that positive feedback. Overall, social media can be fun, but it can also be really harmful, and I think Taylor makes a really important statement here.

Number four on Taylor's list of lessons also stands out: "I learned to stop hating every ounce of fat on my body". I think that in a lot of cases, dieting, calorie counting, and restricting lead to extremely unhealthy habits and unhealthy relationships with food and exercise. It always makes me sad when I see other women striving for an as-skinny-as-possible body instead of just working to be the healthiest versions of themselves. Obviously, metabolism plays a huge part in this, and people who are naturally thin and have small frames end up being on the smaller side regardless. However, for women who push themselves and restrict themselves in order to achieve a body type which isn't even sustainable through healthy methods, I think this lesson is particularly important. For all of us, I think it is extremely important. None of us need to by as tiny as humanly possible. The only thing we should be working towards is being healthy.

Keep reading, and you'll arrive at lesson number eight: "I learned not to let outside opinions establish the value I place on my own life choices". This is somewhat self-explanatory, but I cannot stress enough how important I think it is to stop letting outside opinions affect the way you make decisions and form connections with people. It is your life.

Lesson #24 on the list reads, "I've had to learn how to handle serious illness in my family". Here, Swift touches on her parents' battles with cancer and the fact that her mom's battle is still ongoing. For me, this hits home quite literally. But in a broader sense, Taylor also talks about distinguishing real problems from daily ups and downs, and how she now focuses her energy on those real problems rather than small inconveniences. Personally, I live by the idea that if something won't matter in five years, I shouldn't dwell on it now, and I think this is so, so important.

A little further and we reach #27: "I learned that disarming someone's petty bullying can be as simple as learning to laugh". This sticks with me because I don't think there will ever be a time when this won't be relevant. In any situation, I think laughing it off is honestly a great way of lessening hurt. This partially goes hand in hand with the idea of not caring what others have to say, and I think these two ideas are really important on their own, but when you bring them together I think the result is something really useful when you're trying to regain your footing, so to speak. When someone is trying to hurt you, laughing it off is a way of responding that I feel puts the power back in your hands. Not only are you denying them the attention they want, but you're also refusing to allow their words or actions to hurt you, and you're getting a laugh out of it. Learning to laugh things off has truly made such a difference in the way that I view negative situations, as well as the way that i feel about myself when I am dealing with a situation of this matter.

The essay ends with, of course, #30: "My mom always tells me that when I was a little kid, she never had to punish me for misbehaving because I would punish myself even worse". While this initial statement is itself immensely personal, the lesson that Taylor draws from it is one of self-forgiveness, and thus one that everyone can, and should, internalize. We are human, and inevitably we make mistakes, have regrets, and do things we shouldn't. These mistakes and regrets should not, however, consume us and leave us feeling badly to no end. Everyone messes up, and everyone has done countless things that they regret doing. We have all done things we aren't proud of. What's important is learning how to forgive ourselves and let go. It is only once we learn to do this that we find the freedom to keep growing. Getting stuck in the past leaves us stagnant- we need to master forgiving ourselves in order to move on.

All in all, Taylor's essay touches on many important subjects and struggles, and I think everyone who reads it will take something away from it.