As I turn 20 years old this week, I find myself in a state of both nostalgia for what has come and gone, as well as eagerness for what lies ahead. While operating within this thought stream, I reflected on 20 lessons I have learned in 20 years of life (extremely limited experience is still experience, right?)
1. Occam’s Razor is a wonderful guideline for most experiences we undergo in our lifetimes. Occam’s Razor is the notion that the best theory to explain a given situation is the simplest one. This can be applicable to a host of queries pertaining to multiple fields such as one’s academic, romantic and social life. When you find yourself in a state of chronic overthinking, find what you deem to be the most glaringly obvious or simple explanation and choose to only think about the actions within your control, and within the parameters of what is the best interest for the simplest explanation.
2. Mascara only needs to be put on your top lashes.
3. Most of your day-to-day grievances can be cured through what is naturally available – sunlight, exercise, healthy relationships and social interactions, and for the sake of sanity – a good night’s rest.
4. Weightlifting will not make you bulky.
5. Authenticity is a magnetic trait. Speak your words in accordance with your true sentiments. To know who you are and to actively stick with it is perhaps one of the most rare and compelling traits out there.
6. Peanut butter is unfortunately not a great source of protein, but it is one of the best snacks out there. Enjoy accordingly.
7. People can only meet you as deeply as they meet themselves. Most problems that you experience in social relationships stem from a common theme of you expecting you from other people. Begin to view other’s actions, words and insights as a mirror of their self-identity and watch things become much clearer.
8. Keeping a journal is one of the best ways to record memories, become a better writer and have a clearer grasp on your emotions.
9. If you weren’t ready for something, you would not have the opportunity. Embrace this notion, and discard your innate desire to run from what seeks to challenge and better you.
10. Ordering an extra shot of espresso in any given beverage is bound to make it taste better and heighten your productivity tenfold.
11. Spend time alone and invest in your solitude. You are the only person that you have to spend the rest of your life with.
12. Love what loves you back, whether it is majoring in a field you have a natural “knack” for, pursuing relationships with people who actively pursue you or pouring your energy into what benefits the common good. It is vital that reciprocity is widely present.
13. Choosing not to consume alcohol does not make you better than everybody else, but it does make you more aware than everybody else.
14. Call your loved ones. In an age centered on instant messaging, pick up the phone and grow your relationships despite the distance.
15. Asking others what their major is doesn’t always have to be the conversation starter.
16. Always write a thank-you note.
17. There is fiction in your truth and truth in your fiction. The way you see people isn’t always as they are. Keep this in mind when dealing with others.
18. Assume all things are working in your ultimate favor. What you speak, believe and perceive is ultimately what you become.
19. Have something in your life that you hold in higher regard than yourself, whether it is religion, your coursework or even another person. Ensure you’re never taking yourself seriously enough that there is no room for anything else.
20. Time passes more quickly with each day lived, as the weight of its perceived experience loses relevance as your cumulative “days-lived” snowballs. As a child, a month felt like a year, simply because you had experienced a limited amount of months at that point in your lifetime. As an adult, a month feels like a week, simply because you have experienced an ample amount of months in your lifetime.
Through understanding this information, I urge you not to wish away your days on a countdown – to Friday, to Christmas, to getting a package in the mail. Although it is wonderful to look forward to the excitement offered by the future, it is important to not live your life constantly waiting for the next shoe to drop. Instead, make an effort to be where your shoes are now.
