Thankful Thanksgiving & The Life I've Lived So Far

Hey there!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are having a most wonderful day spending time with your family and friends.

I can't tell you how blessed I am to have such great family and friends to spend the holidays with, even though this season I'm unable to be there today.

Along the notes of celebrating this holiday, I also get to celebrate another year of life on this planet. I'm very thankful to share my 24th birthday on this holiday!

Over these past 24 years, I have learned so many lessons, both the easy and hard way.

So today I want to share with you 24 lessons I've learned so far!

1. You Aren't Entitled To Anything. This was probably the most import lesson I learned as soon as I came to college. If you want something, you have to work for it.
2. Just Because Your Blood-Related, Doesn't Mean Your Family. This lesson hit me hard this year. I've had some struggles with accepting that some blood-related people don't always deserve to be apart of your life.
3. Friends May Come and Go Like Seasons, but That Is Okay! I always thought that the friends I made in high school and college would be the people I stayed in constant contact with for the rest of my life, but that appeared to change within a few months of everyone going their separate ways. Not all friends are lifelong, but they will be there for you when you need them.
4. View Each Opportunity As A Learning Opportunity. Any chance you get an offer to try an internship or to expand and study what you are interested in. Do It! You never know when another chance will come around for you.
5. Take Care of Your Body Now Instead of Later. This lesson I learned within the last 6 months. If you don't take care of your body now, you will regret it later on as you get older. Getting on a regular diet and exercise plan is worth it, if you want to stay in good health as you get older.
6. It's Okay If You Feel Lost. As I have gone through my twenties, I've learned that I truly don't know "everything" like I thought I did. That use to bother me but now I know that the older we get, the more things seem to make sense. 
7. Sacrifice = Dreams. If it was truly easy to achieve your dreams, everyone would have already done so by now. If you have a dream set, you have to work and sacrifice the time that you could be spending on something else. Dreams aren't easy to work for but they are so worth it in the end.
8. Not Everyone's Opinions Matter. I couldn't learn this lesson fast enough in high school. Everyone is going to have an opinion about you and your actions, but they also aren't going to be the greatest either. If you live by trying to please everyone and their opinions, then life is going to be miserable. 
9. Don't You Dare Give Up! Life can be hard. Hell, everything is going to be hard. As I mentioned before; if everything was easy then everyone would be doing it. You just have to work for what you want, and don't let anyone stop you.
10. Don't Compare Yourself To Anyone Else. You are unique. You are beautiful. You are awesome. YOU ARE YOU!!! 
11. Save Your Money! As I look towards my college graduation, which is 2 weeks away, I begin to realize that I only have 6 months before I have to start paying back my student loans. SCARY! I wish that while I was a server, I would have been saving my tips that I made and not spending them on everything.
12. Negative People Need To Go. I'm the literal worst when it comes to getting rid of people in my life because I like to think everyone can change. Unfortunately, life has shown me that you do need to get rid of those who are a constant negative in your life. 
13. It's Nice To Put Down The Electronics. I know that sounds weird coming from a girl who is trying to make herself an "influencer" and a blogger. Society as a whole appears to constantly have some kind of device in their hands, but sometimes it's nice and much needed to put them down and just have a normal human interaction with others. Disconnect and relax.
14. Adopt An Animal. I've had my dog for the last three years and I adore her. She has taught me so much about growing up and taking care of something else other than myself. Plus she makes my life better with the unconditional love she gives.
15. Love Yourself. Plain and simple. 
16. Spend Time With Family. As a high school graduate, I couldn't wait to get out of the house and away from my family. Over the years, I began to realize that I missed being around my crazy, dysfunctional family. 
17. Learn Something New. Your twenties is a time to try new things. Learn a new hobby or craft. Learn a foreign language. Take the time to learn and try something new. :)
18. Rejection Hurts But It Helps. As a writer, rejection is a thing that happens to every writer. As a human, we all get rejected. Yes it may hurt, but it helps teach you to bounce back stronger than before.
19. Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone. Don't be afraid to try something new. Yes your comfort zone is a safe space, but life doesn't always let you stay in your safe space. 
20. Learn To Cook! You can't survive on spaghetti-o's and beanie weenies. Trust me I have tried. Cooking is such a fun thing to learn, plus it has become a great way for me to get rid of my stress. 
21. Just Because You Have A Credit Card, Doesn't Mean You Should Spend It All! Credit cards can be helpful as a college student, but if you max it out within a couple months of having it, you can be in major trouble. When having a credit card, you should be careful of how you use it.
22. Make Time For Yourself. While you are going through life, a million miles an hour, it's always a good thing to make time for yourself. Self-care is important.
23. Compassion Is A Good Thing. (enough said)
24. Live Your Life The Way You Want To! Your life is your own. You will do whatever you think is best for you. Your happiness is important and what matters the most! 

Happy Holidays!

-Tabatha