26 things ive learned at 26 years old

wow, my 26th birthday is three days away. how did that even happen? i still feel like im 19 years old. and that was SEVEN YEARS AGO? WHAT. weird. anyway, i asked on instagram and you voted! this year’s post is going to be 26 things i’ve learned, in honor of turning 26.

1.live, laugh, love is the WORST thing you could ever wish for yourself or someone else. it also sucks as an instagram bio. let me explain myself – why on earth would you want to just “live, laugh, and love” ? is that all you want your life to be about. HECK NO. that is so two dimensional. where are the feelings? the hurt? the pain? the blood sweat and tears? ALL of those things, in combination with a few laughs here and there, will bring you the most beautiful life. i vote we change that motto to “blood, sweat and tears”. who is with me?

2. it’s ok to be shy. i’m shy. so what? i’m quiet, i’m not the first one to raise my hand or share my opinion. none of that means i’m not smart or brave or i don’t care. i spent my ENTIRE time in school being told how i should speak up more and that being shy is terrible and i’ll never be able to be shy in the “real world”. guys, that’s wrong. if you’re shy and you’re an introvert, THAT IS FINE. live your fricken life. don’t try to change yourself. it baffles me that teachers thought that telling me to stop being shy would do anything positive for me. it always made me feel way more insecure.

3. learn to say no. its ok to say no! like, 100% ok. stop hanging out with people you don’t really want to. stop doing anything you don’t really want to. just stop. seriously. say no to people.

4. on the contrary to that – don’t take no for an answer. dominic gets really frustrated with me sometimes because i just cannot accept “no” from people most of the time. but like, why should i? if there’s a will, there’s a way. of course, there are limits – don’t be a spoiled brat. but always alway always question when people tell you “no” before you accept it. if you know you can make something happen, figure it out and do it.

5. start taking your allergy medicine BEFORE spring/fall actually arrive. trust me, there will be a lot less hassle when the pollen starts flying.

6. buy the shoes/dress/sweater/makeup. just buy it, ok? it’s a lot less stressful and do you know how mad you would be if you died like the next day and had all of that money in your bank account just sitting there? if you die, at least you’ll die with a new sweater.

7. going against that real quick – save your money. learn how to budget. learning how to manage your money early saves so much time and stress when you’re saving for things like weddings and houses.

8. “please” and “thank you” will get you SO far. like, so incredibly far. i didn’t realize how many actual adults didn’t know how to say either of those phrases. they make all the difference. even when you’re frustrated, SAY PLEASE.

9. take photos. lots of them. every second you can. save them, print them, hold on to them. there was never a time i EVER thought “wow, i really regret taking photos of that moment. looking back on this great time is so annoying.” ya know?

10. post the stupid photo. GIRL, JUST POST THE PHOTO, YOU LOOK FINE. think your face looks fat? think everyone will notice that zit on your forehead? hate the way your hair is falling? WHO CARES. these are thoughts i literally have with every single photo i post on my blog and instagram. but like, whatever. sorry NOT SORRY my zit is bothering you.

11. be nice. that’s really all there is to it.

12. adults don’t know what they’re doing. i don’t know why i ever thought my parents knew what they were doing. or anyone older than me, for that matter. we’re all just making it up as we go. which is cool! embrace it. be scared. everyone is!

13. change your style. ALL THE TIME. dye your hair, get a tattoo, remove the tattoo and cut off all your hair. i cannot tell you how many times people used to tell me “omg, you’ve changed so much since high school!!”. LIKE WELL I HOPE SO! why on earth would i want to be the same person i was at 16? don’t get me wrong, i loved 16 year old me. but why can’t i change? WHY IS CHANGE SO BAD? it’s not.

14. people appreciate honesty and real life things way more than a fake smile. being in a world filled with social media, it’s hard to even know if someone is actually NORMAL and goes through normal things that make life hard – like anxiety, money struggles, health issues. i am way more likely to “follow” accounts where people are straight up honest and real and don’t make it seem like everything is fine. that is not normal. so many people can relate to your struggles.

15. cry at work. just do it, you’ll feel better.

16. a college degree does not make you successful. hard work does.

17. “i’ve been so busy” is not an excuse. for anything. replace that one hour of instagram scrolling with a phone call to your friend or a quick coffee run with your friend.

18. you are on your own timeline and that’s really cool! i am 26 years old (basically) and i am not married, i have zero children, i do not own a house and i’m ok with that. i’m in no rush! why are you??????? i am so in love with my friend’s babies and i love visiting their new homes. weddings are my favorite thing! but all of that doesn’t make me feel like i should be doing the same. i’ll get there some day!

19. do laundry more than once a month. mornings will be a lot less stressful.

20. don’t trust people who don’t like pickles. WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE?

21. believe in fate and that you will end up exactly where you should in life, but don’t forget to work hard for it. god/the universe/fate/whatever you believe in, will not just hand you the life that you want and deserve.

22. tacos were made for tuesdays. enough said.

23. a drive in the car is wasted if you don’t sing. i would OWN carpool karaoke.

24. start a blog, write a book, create a podcast – create, create, create. just because you want to start a blog or create a podcast or whatever you want to do, doesn’t mean you’re “copying” anyone else or can’t do it. express yourself. create stuff. do what you love doing! who cares if nobody likes it. honestly, who.actually.cares. not me! it would never stop me from writing on my blog if i knew my parents were the only ones that read it. #numberonefans

25. if you want something done, you have to do it yourself. NOBODY will do it for you. you have to start somewhere. you just have to START. it’s that simple. do it. there isn’t a single person that can do it for you.

26. listen to your gut. if your gut is trying to tell you something, open your ears!!! 99% of the time, it’s right.

 

that’s it! 26 things i’ve learned. i won’t make this too much longer because i know this was a lot. but 25 was a wild ride! i’m excited to see what 26 brings. PEACE AND BLESSINGS.

 

xo,

 

 

courtney raf