I turned 25 last month (February 17th) and I thought I would write about it. I have seen people doing this on Youtube and other blogs and it got me thinking about things that I have learned and would want to tell my younger self. I thought I would give it a go thinking I wouldn’t get past 5 things but when I started writing things down, sure enough I was at 25 in no time. So I thought I would jump on the band wagon and write a blog post about it and let you guys know some of the things that I have learned over the last 25 years.

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Here we go…

• If you get a cut while shaving your legs your shower will look like a scene from a horror movie. Even the smallest scratch will yield what feels like litres of blood and no matter how old you are or how many times it happens a little bit of panic will set in.
• Be yourself, Be weird and Be proud. I know that I can be a little weird but I embrace it (see selfies above). It may be cheesy but if everyone acted the same way the world would be a very boring place. So be weird and wonderful, there will always be someone who will love you for it.
• Taking your time is not necessarily a bad thing. Whether this is in your professional or personal life, you don’t need to do everything at 100 miles an hour. Life is a marathon not a sprint so if it takes you a few extra years to do what you want that’s okay. Don’t compare your timeline to someone else’s , we all have different top speeds (car analogies) .
• It’s okay to fail. This is sometimes a hard thing to accept and I even have trouble with it sometimes but it really is okay to fail or not be good at something. This gives us the opportunity to learn from our mistake and grow as a person.
• Don’t be afraid to act like a child. I may be 25 but sometimes I feel and act like a 8 year old. You don’t have to take life seriously all the time, children have no cares and do whatever they want to do, not caring what others think. So go eat a happy meal, have a water fight, build a pillow fort or just act silly and let your inhibitions go.

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• Travel as much as you can. I have been lucky enough to travel to many countries and I can’t stress this one enough. Not only will you get to broaden your horizons, learn new cultures and gain independence but you will also get to meet some amazing people and learn new things about yourself.
• You don’t always need a reason to cry. There are times when the tears just come and that’s okay, whether they be happy or sad tears just let them rain. Grab some ice-cream and put on a sad movie and just let it all out.
• Wear it if it makes you happy. We all want to be fashionista’s but sometimes you just got to wear what makes you happy even if you will look back on the pictures and think why?! That has happened me a few times but at the time I felt like Beyonce in that outfit so wear what makes you happy.
• You don’t have to talk to someone everyday to be best friends. As you get older your life gets busy and you may not be able to talk to people everyday but that doesn’t mean you are not still best friends. You’ve just got to make the effort sometimes to send a text or photo. Whether you talk every 3 months, 6 months or once a year , it’s okay, just think of all the stuff you will have to catch up on. Don’t let a long pause in communication stop you from just sending a ‘Hey, What’s up?’ text. I talk to some of my best friends about once every 2 months or less sometimes but we are still going strong.
• Video calling is the best invention. Whether it is Skype, Facetime, Snapchat or Whatsapp they are all amazing. When you, like me, have friends and family all over the world being able to have a video call is the best. It makes you feel like the person is really there because you can see their face and when you are missing home or someone , it is the best cure.

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• Getting post is the best feeling. When I was a little kid when I got something in the post it made me so happy and still to this day I get that feeling. Whether it is a letter or a parcel there is just something about coming home and something being in the postbox addressed to you.
• You are never too old to be afraid. Being afraid is not something to be ashamed of and it is a way for us to grow and get stronger. There are so many things that I have done that have caused a bit of fear to rise in me but I have done them anyway, and the feeling of accomplishment afterwards is worth it.
• Get some off screen time. I will confess that sometimes I am slightly addicted to my screens, whether phone or laptop, but when I get a chance to switch off it is amazing. There are so many beautiful things out there that you are missing so put the phone away , turn off the laptop and get out there and see the world.
• Take lots of photos. I love living in the moment and not snapping lots of pictures but having those memories to look back on is the absolute best. I’m not saying send the whole time with your camera or phone out but take a few snaps of each event or moment so that you can look back in years to come and have something to guide your memories.
• It’s normal not to want to drink alcohol. Nowadays alcohol images are thrown in our faces left, right and centre that when someone hears you don’t drink it causes a lot of questions. ( Me being Irish also doesn’t help). But I have learned that it’s perfectly normal not to want to drink and I am not the only one, which I did think for a while, but as I grow older the more people I meet who don’t drink and can still have a good time.

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• Don’t feel guilty for being happy. I get this sometimes if I talk to people who are not as happy with their life as I am but I have learned that you can feel guilty for what you have. You have worked to get to where you are and you should never apologise for that.
• Chocolate solves everything. If it is period cramps, a crappy day at work, winning a competition, your birthday or your’re just having a bad day, chocolate will help. Grab your favourite chocolate bar and for the time you are eating it the world will all seem right.
• Dance. In a dance class, in your bedroom, in the shower, in a shop, on the street. Just anywhere really if you want to bust a move , do it, who cares who is looking you will feel like the only person in the world, just you and your moves.
• Take time for yourself. We are always surrounded by people that it can be a little overwhelming. Take some time for yourself. You don’t have to embark on a 3 months solo mission to find yourself but just do some little things. Go for a walk, pop in your headphones and sit in your bedroom, go on a coffee date with yourself or read a book.
• Learn something new. It can be big or small but try and learn something new each year to help you grow as a person. This year I started to snowboard , something I have always wanted to do and it feels amazing learning a new skill.

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• Love yourself. You are not a number on a scale or a clothes label and you are worth it. This was something that I took a little longer to accept but you only get one body that is completely yours so love it and take care of it. Inside and out, mind and body. I was watching the Netlfix show Dumplin and a great quote that I love is ” Every body is a swimsuit body”. You are all beautiful how you are.
• Treat yourself (to a point). Don’t be afraid to treat yourself and buy those new shoes or go on that trip but be sensible. Make sure you save some money for a rainy day and don’t go crazy.
• There is not much a hug from your mam can’t cure. Enough said.
• Smile and laugh as much as you can. Release those happy endorphins and be happy, Laugh until you cry and smile until you get wrinkles. Do the things that give you these feelings.
• The best is yet to come. I may have lived 25 years but who knows what the next however many hold. You can’t predict the future and tomorrow really is a mystery.

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So there you go. There’s 25 things that I have learned over the past 25 years and something I would like to tell my younger self so she didn’t stress over some small things. It is a very interesting thing to think about, you guys should try it and let me know somethings in the comments.

Emma

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