Hey friends! How are ya'll doing? Are ya'll hanging in there? I know it's been a while but just as I'm sure has been the case for all of you, life has been crazy! I pray that you are all staying safe and taking time to take care of you, your loved ones and your mental health!
For the month of March, I've been participating in a "list maker challenge" that I stumbled across on Instagram. The challenge, created by @bookstaandbujo is a means of getting out of a creative rut and simply making some sort of a creative list in a journal every day for the month of March. The creator of this challenge found that when the pandemic first began, her life, schedule and structure were turned upside down. She went from creatively planning in her planner every day to all of a sudden, not having anything to plan and no set schedule, not to mention, no "to do" list. In an attempt to dig her way out of that funk, she created the "list maker challenge" and this March marks the second go 'round of it! Search the #listmakerchallege on IG for inspiration.
One of the lists that I was excited to create and that challenged me was a list of 44 things that I've learned at the age of 44. I thought I'd share it with you here.
1. God is always first.
2. Don't put your faith in people. You will always leave yourself open with room to be disappointed.
3. Everything and everyone that glitters ain't gold.
4. You don't need a lot of friends.
5. You don't need a lot of things.
6. Faith over fear.
7. Don't beat yourself up for your past. Pray about it. Ask for forgiveness. Move forward.
8. Learn from your mistakes and don't make the same mistakes over and over again.
9. Always pay yourself first.
10. Make time for what makes you happy.
11. Live for something bigger than yourself.
12. What is for you is for you.
13. Never question, "why you." Why not you?
14. Always pull up a seat to the table.
15. You have a story to tell and it deserves to be told.
16. Look up at the clouds sometimes. You'll learn to appreciate the small things.
17. Money comes and goes.
18. Enjoy the journey. It's not always about the destination.
19. Travel often.
20. Life's too short to not eat off of the good plates, use the good silverware, wear the red shoes, etc. What are you saving those things for?
21. Practice some form of gratitude every single day.
22. Pour into others as much as you can.
23. Don't wish ill will upon your enemies. The universe will take care of what it needs to.
24. Surround yourself with things and people that make you happy.
25. Let go of people and things that drain you of your peace.
26. Make time to get lost in a good book.
27. Always learn and grow.
28. Pay for the people's food/drinks in the car behind you in a drive through. Anonymously pay for someone's food in a restaurant....just because.
29. Send handwritten cards or letters to people, just because.
30. Once you've achieved something, you have a responsibility to pull others up behind you.
31. Pay it forward.
32. Don't be afraid to seek professional help.
33. Advocate for yourself and for those that you love.
34. Take care of your physical, spiritual and mental health.
35. Other people's opinions of you are not your business.
36. Just be kind.
37. Everyone is fighting a battle, some kind of battle that you know absolutely nothing about.
38. You can't change people. But you can change the way that you deal with people.
39. When you know better, do better.
40. Always always always listen to your spirit of discernment about people and situations. That little God whisper, 10 times out of 10, it's always right.
41. Be comfortable being uncomfortable. That's where the growth happens.
42. Somewhere between the ages of 40-45 you realize you are on "the other side of life" and things begin to matter either more or less. People begin to matter more or less. What you're willing to spend your time doing, things you're willing to tolerate, etc change, because you understand the value of time and peace of mind.
43. There is something so powerfully freeing when you find the courage and power to tell people, "no."
44. Always know and remember your "why."
Do any of my 44 resonate with you? What would you add to this list? What have you learned in your years here on earth so far that have stuck with you the most?
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