Things I'd Tell My 25 Year Old Self

There's something you need to know about me: I LOVE birthdays. I always have! And when I turned 35 a few weeks ago, and my parents called me that morning to wish me "Happy Birthday," my dad asked:

Dad: "So, #1 [his nickname for me] how do you feel?"

Me: "About what?"

Dad: "About this milestone birthday. You're in the April of your life."

🤯

Honestly, I'm still processing how I feel about that. But it made me think about the last ten years, especially, and if I had anything I wanted to tell my 25 year old self.

Here's a list (in no particular order).

Stop making yourself smaller to fit in spaces that don't welcome you.

You will never be "thin enough." Stop obsessing over your size and start celebrating what your body can do.

You don't have to prove that you are worth of being loved.

No job is worth your mental health. You can start over or switch careers as many times as you need to.

If it makes you happy, DO IT. It doesn't matter how silly or cringey other people might think it is. Life is too short to live by what other people think.

You don't have to earn rest.

For the love of God, open a 401k. If you can't, AT LEAST start putting $5/$10/$10 monthly into a Roth IRA. It adds up over time!

Don't be afraid of adventuring alone. You will grow in unfathomable ways when you do.

MOISTURIZE. If you don't have a skincare routine down, it's time to invest in yourself.

Don't let the fear of not knowing how to do something/looking foolish stop you from trying something new. Everyone has to learn at some point!

Cherish the people you love. They won't always be there.

Cherish the people who grow with you. They below your "ride or dies."

Learn ways to move your body in ways that feel like joy, not punishment.

It's okay to start over, at any time, if a life decision isn't working out the way you hoped.

If you feel creatively burnt out, don't worry, your "spark" will come back.

Just because no one has loved you yet, doesn't mean no one ever will.

Don't give up on your dreams, no matter how long they take.

Never stop dreaming new dreams---big or small.

Get the dog. He will become more important than you can possibly imagine.

Read more. You'll never regret it.

You will never feel ready to do the thing that scares/intimidates you. Do it anyway.

You don't have to have it all figured out in your 20s. Life gets better as you age.

Don't be afraid of aging. It's like you've been practicing your whole life to be your true self, and you become a little more who you've always wanted to be the older you get.

What words of wisdom would you give your 10-years-younger self?

And thank you for being here.

xoxo

Allora