“I don’t know about you, but I’m feelin 22!” – Taylor Swift
Yes, I have been singing that line all day!
Hey Hey Hey!! What’s up? Happy June! I hope you all are having an amazing June so far! So today is actually my 22nd birthday! Of course, I don’t feel any different, but reflecting on who I am today in comparison to who I was 22 years ago, a lot of things have changed… HAHA. OF COURSE. But in all seriousness, I have learned so much these past 22 years and I wanted to share some of the important things I have learned with you today! You ready, fam? I don’t think you are. Are you really ready? Okay I’m just being annoying at this point. Let’s get into it shall we? 🙂
22 Things I Learned at 22
1. Everything you go through is preparing you for something greater. I’ve come to find that it’s usually for something I have asked for. God allows for things to happen in preparation for something bigger and better that’s coming into your life. Get ready and be cautious of what you ask for fam. Haha!
2. Success is not measured in the amount of big things you accomplish but rather it is the sum of the little efforts consistently over time. I use to think that you’re only successful because of the things you do, the degree you get, the job you have, the car you drive, the amount of money in your bank account, things like that. But really, success looks different to everyone. To me, it is more about my character development and the choices I make consistently every single day to be better than who I was the day before. Dwayne Johnson, one of my favorite actors in the history of FOREVER once said, “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” MMHMM PREACH IT HOMIE.
3. Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right. There is power in the mind and also in the spoken word. So what you believe and what you speak over yourself will ultimately happen.
4. It’s better to be positive about everything. Be optimistic as often as you can. It can be challenging to do at times, but I’ve learned to find the positive in everything you do. When it’s raining, look for the rainbow or jump around in the puddles. Shoutout to Peppa Pig who taught Emet and I that life is about laughing, loving and jumping in muddy puddles (If you know what I’m talking about, then you’re AMAZING). But also, when it’s dark, look for the stars. Just remember, there is always gonna be something positive about a situation! Find it.
5. Sometimes it’s better to write out your negative thoughts on a piece of paper, pray about it, then rip it up and throw it away. We usually go to our friends to “vent” about something and if we’re really being honest with ourselves, it’s just gossiping. I am SO GUILTY of this. There are some situations where yes, we need to talk it out with someone. So in those situations, that is totally fine! I get that. However, small things usually turn to big things because of gossip. Better to just avoid it all together! Give it to God, then let it go.
6. Don’t compare your journey to someone else’s. Reality is, we don’t know what someone else is going through, has gone through, or will go through. We don’t fully know another person’s journey except for our own. Therefore, there really is no point in comparing. Take pride in how far you’ve come and have faith in how far you’ll go.
7. The art of being happy lies in the power of finding happiness in the little things. Mycah and I always use to say, “All I want…is to be happy…” Yes. Those pauses were included. Haha! We said it as a joke but behind every “Just Kidding” lies some truth. We really just wanted to be happy. After some time, I realized that we all have the opportunity to be happy with where we’re at. The secret is you need to accept where you’re at in life and just make the most of everyday! It’s usually not the situation that makes us unhappy but rather our thoughts about it. Happy mind, happy life.
8. Speaking of Mycah, I also learned that he is usually always right. OH. And my mom. My mom is always right, too. Just had to include that. Always listen to your Mom! And if you have an older sibling, listen to them, too! Mess with them? Ummm of course! Heck yes! Irritate them! lol! But still listen to their advice. An older sibling usually goes through things first so that they can help guide their younger siblings and help them not repeat the same mistakes. I know this because I am an older sibling, too. Lol! But yes! MYCAH, THANK YOU. Your “Know-It-All-isms” can be annoying but they are GREATLY appreciated!
9. Watch your levels! Burn out’s happen when you start doing things without God and when you let the negativity of people around you get the best of you. Be sure to constantly fill yourself up with God and His love and also do things every once in a while that makes you’re soul happy. Then, operate out of the overflow of that positivity.
10. Surround yourself with people that bring you up, not tear your down. Plant yourself in a growth environment; a place where you can grow to be better than who you were yesterday.
11. Be a thermostat, not a thermometer. What does that mean? Be the person that controls the vibes of the room, not someone who conforms to the people around them. I am proud to say that I am that kind of person, a thermostat, and I admit that as humbly as possible. It’s a huge responsibility but a blessing nonetheless.
12. I am a sanguine, definitely! This is more of a fact than a lesson but it is something I have learned throughout the years about myself. I actually LOVE people. I love to talk to people (including strangers), I love to learn about people, I love to love on people, etc. It’s so fun! When you’re a sanguine, literally everyone becomes your best friend. If you know me, I’m always saying, “YAY LET’S BE BESTIES” to everyone I meet. Which is a good and a bad thing. I feel like I use the term “Best friend” so loosely and it really downgrades the meaning of the term in my opinion. I realized that I have a lot of good friends, great friends even! But my best friends would be Mycah, Braiden, and Giscelle for sure. It took me some time to figure out that my best friends were the ones I shared a home with!
13. Don’t hold too high of an expectation on people. People will always fail you and hurt you. I don’t want to sound negative, but it is true. I tend to rely on people so much which usually ends up in hurt. I blame my sanguine personality. Haha! I am learning to allow for God and only God to be the one I rely on and set my hope and faith in Him and in Him alone.
14. People pleasing gets you nowhere. I’ve come to realize that I am no longer afraid of losing people. I’m more so afraid of losing myself by trying to please everyone around me. I was notorious for just trying to be the best I can be for everyone around me and I would live for the approval and acceptance of others. It is much better to choose to focus on pleasing God rather than pleasing people.
15. My significance comes from who I am in Christ, not from what I do. Just like it says in Ephesians, we are chosen. It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.
16. The right guy will come only in God’s timing. Like every other girl out there, all I dreamed about was finding my Prince Charming, or having my High School Musical moment with Troy Bolton, or marrying Thor!! Hey, I can dream. K?! Lol! But I found out that God’s best doesn’t always come packaged in the way you imagined. What is important is that you get yourself right before God and focus on your relationship with Him first because the person out there for you is hopefully doing the same thing and eventually, on this journey of falling in love with Jesus, you will both meet in the center which is God. Dear Future Husband, I can’t wait to meet you. Keep falling in love with Jesus and I promise I’ll do the same.
17. Who you are is entirely up to you. Being yourself is hard but who you are is so beautiful and unique and special and no one can do you like you. You decide who you want to be, no one else has that power over you. So everyday, live with the intention of wanting to be better.
18. Quality over quantity always, especially with friendships. I use to want to have a huge group of friends, but now I’m realizing that all I really need is a few loyal ones that I can trust and who will love me unconditionally. I’ve lost a few friends along the way and it’s honestly ok because I know my real friends are still around!
19. Adulting sucks. It’s necessary but it seriously sucks. Just had to throw that in there. Haha!
20. If you don’t like your situation, you have the power to change it. Don’t just sit there and complain about how crappy something is, do something about it!
21. Someone once told me that maturing is realizing how many things don’t require your comment. I would get so defensive and I would always feel the need to give my opinion. Honestly, I can still be like that. Oopsie! But it’s better to know when you need to say something, and more importantly, when you don’t need to say something. I’m learning to talk less and listen more! lol!
22. I am good enough. Be on the lookout for a post dedicated to this topic. We started a series in our church that is unpacking the love of the Father and I have discovered that my main issue I have faced these past 22 years is that I feel like I am not good enough which also led to me believing that people don’t need me. Day by day, I tackle that lie and dissect it so that I can get rid of it once and for all.
OH BUH-GEEZ. That was long. Oooops! But congratulations! You made it to the end! lol! Of course, there are so many things I have learned but those were the first 22 that popped into my head! I hope you enjoyed that and I hope it helped you in some way! If so, let me know in the comments below! As always, feel free to “like” this post and share it with a friend! I would appreciate it so much! And if you’re new here, then HI! I’m Misha! Nice to meet you! Let’s be friends! Don’t forget to subscribe and never miss a post!
I would just like to also say thank you to everyone who made this day so incredibly special! I am so blessed and so loved, it’s honestly overwhelming. Thank you for the kind words and gifts and HUGS! Like I always say, thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful week! Until next time, love bug!
OMG, happy belated birthday, girl!! You’ve got some great advice packed into this post 🙂
“God’s best doesn’t always come packaged in the way you imagined” – I love that you said this because this has been something that I’ve especially been learning over the last couple years, that God’s plans and timing don’t always fall into the same idea I have of the “perfect plan” in life or “perfect time” for things to happen. I’ve also learned that things will work out though, because ultimately God’s timing is perfect; He knows just what we need to grow and when the right time is for us to experience that growth (including the people that will or won’t be in our lives at the moment of that growth). And recently, I’ve found that sometimes the Lord needs to grow us first, so that He can shape us more into the person He wants us to be, before He places specific people into (or back into) our lives.
Isaiah 55:8-11 says: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (NIV)
Anyway, I hope you had a wonderful birthday week and some chocolate cake (or whatever flavor you like) to celebrate! Hehe 😀 Happy 22nd Birthday, Misha!!! <3 ~L