Twenty-nine lessons on my 29th birthday

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In between my last newsletter and this one, I turned 29. To mark the beginning of the last year of my 20s, below you’ll find a list of 29 things I learned before my 29th birthday, inspired in part by my friend, Kendall Ciesemier. This was a wild year full of so many lessons. Some are silly, some are deep. Each one is short, but could have (and may have already had) its own dedicated post. I can’t wait to hear which one (or two? or more?) resonated with you the most. Without further ado:

1. Your job won’t love you back.

2. Practicing gratitude is the most effective way to start the day.

3. The trash really does take itself out.

4. Drinking a cold beverage out of a wine glass makes it taste better.

5. Not everyone is meant to stay in your life for the long haul. Some friends are there for a season.

6. Get your nails done. That’s for you, no one else - you look at them all day!

7. If someone tells you that you’re “too much,” run. Immediately. You don’t need to wait around until they can afford you.

8. Flowers need the right soil to blossom, just like people need the right environment to grow.

9. The hardest sh*t is often what makes us the best people.

10. A break-up is hard, but that post break-up confidence is worth it.

11. If it’s meant for you, it won’t drain you. It also won’t make you question your worth on a daily basis.

12. Fail as many times as you can. And when you think you’ve failed enough, fail some more.

13. Embrace the harder moments, don’t run from them. Collect them like the arrows in your quiver that they’ll become.

14. Own your envy. And then, ladies especially, please get over it and lift up other women. Life’s too short and women are too badass to not prop each other up.

15. Everything is temporary. The hard times will pass. But so will the good, so enjoy them.

16. In that vein, it really is all about the journey, not the destination. If you’re not enjoying the process, it’s not for you.

17. Perspective makes the whole difference.

18. Bravo. How did it take me so long to discover Bravo? Vanderpump, the Housewives… all great if you love to gossip.

19. Getting a four-legged furry friend is worth every ridiculously expensive visit to the vet. Even if it means foregoing buying that ludicrously capacious bag you’ve been eyeing.

20. Sometimes all you’ll do is stare at the four-legged furry friend with tears in your eyes because they’re the cutest thing you’ve ever seen (Or… no? Just me?)

21. Theme parties are the best parties.

22. But also, it’s ok to spend a Friday night at home eating pasta and watching Gilmore Girls. Those nights are necessary.

23. Spending time outdoors each day is critical to the mission (the mission being maintaining good mental health.)

24. Therapy is transformative; I firmly believe that it is a necessity if you want to grow, not an accessory.

25. Celebrate. The little things, the big things, the in-between things.

26. Fight for yourself. As Wolf Blitzer says, if you don’t advocate for yourself, who will?

27. Like 90% of the time, give or take, nothing’s that serious. It’s fun to be fun. Do it for the bit.

28. Always be kind to customer service representatives. Because it’s the right thing to do, and because it’s the surest way to get what you want.

29. My mom is a testament to the fact that there’s nothing to fear about aging. And it’s never too late to learn anything new. She’s picked up like, six new hobbies, like paddleboarding and cross-country skiing.

Did any of these lessons resonate? Let me know! You can find me on IG or just reply to this email. Or if you have any questions, send those, too. Getting your emails is still my favorite part of the week, so please keep them coming 🙂 

P.S. Speaking of birthdays, happy birthday to the girl whose known me since my most awkward. Love you Carly!