Wisdom from a now 25 year old...

Since I just turned a quarter of a century last week, I decided to pass along some wisdom in my "mature" age. 

What follows is a list of either personal anecdotes or some of my favorite quotes from Pinterest. Enjoy!

1. You are not the only one going through whatever it is you're going through.  There's lots of people who aren't engaged yet, married yet or pregnant yet. People who are unemployed or who don't have everything figured out. Enjoy the season of your life and stop comparing your story to someone else's. 

2. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was to forgive someone I used to be close to who hurt me and never apologized. Forgive them anyway. You deserve to have peace and I guarantee you that they’re not losing sleep over how much they hurt you. Neither should you.

3. The grass is greener on the other side because it's fertilized with bull sh--. (I like to call this the Facebook façade…)  

4. You can be the tastiest, best looking peach and there's still going to be someone who just hates peaches.

5. Quality versus quantity-especially when it comes to friends.  You want people in your life who make you a better person. Also relationships are a two way street, so unless you're helping your friend through a crisis (we all need a little help sometimes) Re-evaluate your inner circle.

6. You are not a doormat. Don't let people walk all over you.

7. Be proud of who you are. Some people may not know or appreciate your journey, but you know your journey. Celebrate it.

8. You're either running toward God or running away from God. Keeping running toward Him and keep company that (see #5) also points you toward God.

9. Find healthy food that you like to eat.  Life's too short to force down kale chips (unless that's your favorite?) I never knew I liked Brussels sprouts until I had them at a restaurant. Sautéed in a little olive oil. Yum-O! 

10. Opportunity looks a lot like work. (Remember that Ashton Kutcher speech?)

11. Don't be afraid to try something new. Be courageous and fearless!

12. You're not responsible for other people's happiness. It's not your job to "fix" people.

13. Moderation is a great word. Eat well, exercise, keep your stress level down and get enough sleep. Some days just require a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie.

14. Learn from past mistakes and don't look back. (You're not going that way)

15. "No" is a great word. Don't get trapped into always getting pulled into things. Just say "no." (See #6.)

16. Focus on the positive. Even on your worst day, you can still find something positive that happened.

17. Be yourself. “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” Dr. Seuss.

18. Garbage in...Garbage out. “More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

19. Call your grandparents. You can learn so much about their lives. They won't live forever.

20. Small acts of kindness go a long way in making someone's day. Look for ways to do things for other people.

21. Unplugging is important for a better nights sleep. We used to not have cellphones, see how long you can go without using yours.

22. Go to the doctor and dentist every year. Check ups are important.

23. Every minute you're angry, you lose one minute of happiness. Life's just too short and you have too much to be thankful for. If you must be angry, set a timer for 15 minutes and when it beeps, let it go.

24. Be an encourager, the world has plenty of critics already. 

25. No matter how old you get, the best way to get over  a bad day is on the couch with some ice cream and a classic Disney movie.