30 Things I Have Learned in 36 Years

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Everyone always says the older you get the wiser you become. Well, if this isn’t true, I don’t know what is. It seems the older I get, the more “ah-ha” moments I have. You know, when you say “ah-ha” and you just finally get it. FINALLY!! Then, you look back and think, damn I was stupid as shit in my 20’s.

Oh the 20’s. The decade when you are still trying to find yourself,  yet you think you know EVERYTHING! No one can tell you anything. Why? Because you already know everything. Just thinking about it gives me a little chuckle. So so soooooo stupid. No clue what life is REALLY about. I can say I have had more “ah-ha” moments in the 6 years of my 30’s then I had in 29 years. I’ll give you a second to do that math?

Okay, so all these “ah-ha” moments have led up to this exact moment. This moment of typing this blog entry and watching Monday’s episode of General Hospital. Yes, General Hospital!!  I have been watching it since I was 12 and have only missed a handful of episodes in all these years. Sorry for the digression but I always have to give a little background on my love affair with General Hospital. So, back to this moment…I want to share with you the many things I have learned in this short time I have been around.  This short time has lead up to this moment right here!!  Some are common sense but we all know, sometimes, we loose our common sense.  It just runs right out the door.  Then, there will be a time when it comes running right back in and you say ‘oh hey bae! Your back….THANK GOD!!!!’  So, here is a list of things…lessons if you will, that I have learned over the years.

  1. Family- you can’t choose them, they will usually be there for everything, but they are also the ones that can hurt you the most.
  2. Nothing….I repeat NOTHING is guaranteed.
  3. Child birth is not as painful as people have been telling you since your teenage years. Not that painful at all.
  4. Get a dog. At least one in your lifetime. Dogs are the only living thing that will absolutely love you unconditionally. No matter what!!!!!
  5. Make time for yourself. Everyone, man or women, child or adult, needs time for just themselves.
  6. Live alone at least once. It’s the time that you really find yourself. You want to make sure you can live with yourself. If you can’t, then shit, how do you expect someone else too.
  7. A little struggle is good.  Having some struggles in life helps you to enjoy the times that seem easy and carefree.
  8. Admit your mistakes – I know, I know!!! Sometimes that’s the absolute worst feeling.  To me, I used to feel like I was defeated.  Now, it makes me feel liberated.  Own your shit.  Be able to say “I did this or that and I was absolutely wrong and I know this.”  Then move on.  When you start to do this, you begin to know yourself a little better each time.
  9. Be a good friend.  “Friends” are hard to find.  Real, good, true, loyal friends.  As you get older, you realize most of those people you thought you could NOT live without are no longer in your life.  And look…you are still living.  When you find that good, honest, true friend…be good to them.  Love them even when they are not at their best. They will love you at your worst.  Keep their secrets and they will keep yours. Love them and make sure they know it.  You have to be a good friend to find a good friend.
  10. Don’t sweat the small stuff and its ALL small stuff.
  11. Be silly with your children.  Let them be silly.  Children are so innocent and pure.  Allow them to laugh and play and be goofy.  Be goofy with them.  It will make your bond so much stronger.
  12. Get a hobby.  Something that you absolutely love doing.  Something that is yours and only yours.  Do it. Love it. Enjoy it.
  13. Love hard.  What is the point of ‘kind of’ loving someone? Or being with someone you don’t love ALL THE WAY.  Life is about love.  When you find that person to love…love them hard.  Love them through any and everything.  Love them NO MATTER WHAT!!!
  14. Be as honest as you can with your kids.  I tell my son everything.  When he gets older and hears about drugs and alcohol in school or has questions about girls, I will ALWAYS be open and honest with him about anything he wants to know.  This not only bonds you more with your child but they will be learning it from you not some stranger or another kid claiming to be their ‘friend.’  Tell your kids your experiences in life….just keep it real with them.  They will love you so much for it.
  15. Regret is a bitch.  A big bitch.  Don’t have regrets.  Do what makes YOU happy.  No matter what anyone….ANYONE, has to say about it. Ultimately, this is your journey, your book and you are the author.
  16. Be patient.  Nothing that’s good comes easy.  Work hard and be patient.  Your dreams will all come true one day.
  17. After your children are adults, be a friend to them.  A friend! Not the parent who says ‘do this’ or ‘do that’.  Be that person they can come to with EVERYTHING.  I cant wait to be that person with my Joey.
  18. Your first instincts are most likely correct.
  19. You can’t change anyone.  Stop trying.
  20. Be you.  There is no one else better at it.
  21. You will never regret having a/another child.  You will regret not having one/another.
  22. Keep it 100% (real) ALL the time.
  23. Only pick a career that you LOVE to do.  If not, you will wake up every single day as Miserable Molly and well, that’s just no way to live your life.
  24. Having a child doesn’t mean you have to loose yourself.  Yes, you love your child/children with everything you have, but you also need you time and/or ‘us’ time with your significant other.  If you loose yourself in your children, you wont remember who you are when your children become adults and you aren’t taking care of them as you needed to when they were younger.
  25. Travel the world.  See as many different places as you can.  You are only here once….
  26. Learn about everything you can.  Knowledge truly IS power.
  27. Try your best to enjoy and love your parents while they are here.  They have lived in this world without you.  You have never lived without them.
  28. Life is more about the journey and less about the destination.
  29. (for my women readers) -Find a man who loves you.  REALLY loves you.  Ruins your lipstick instead of your mascara.  Tells you that you are beautiful not pretty.  Calls you his lady or women not his girl. Walks on the outside of you.  Protects you.  Rubs your feet when he knows you have had a hard day.  Wants to see you smile more than anything in the world. Then when you find him.  Keep him.  Love him.
  30. Life isn’t fair.  You need to learn to deal with it.

So that’s it!!  I mean I probably could go on and one but I will stop at 30 now.  It is so funny because, according to the back end of my blog, I originally started this post on June 8th.  I kept adding to it and saving it.  Kept going back and forth with ‘should I post this?’ and ‘should I not post this?’  Then I remembered, I love going to fashion blogs that I frequent and seeing something different.  So I figured, what the hell…what so I have to loose.  I am so glad I choose to share with you and I hope you can take some of these life lessons / words of advice or whatever you choose to call it and remember them when you need too!

That’s all folks.  Don’t worry, my next post will be about fashion:)

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Thanks so much for stopping by!  Love you guys!

xoxoHillaryxoxo

 

2 comments on “30 Things I Have Learned in 36 Years

    1. Haha. Yes, well I swear my son made it easy for me just to trick me in to believing if I had another one, it would be that easy. I know I was truly blessed with a somewhat painless childbirth. Thank you so much for reading 🙂

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