What better way to kick off my birthday month content than with a 26 things I’ve learnt in 26 years right? I can’t believe that in just a couple of weeks I will turn 27. I still remember the day I turned 18 like it was yesterday. Since then, time has just flown by and I didn’t think much had happened. On reflection, my life has changed completely and I can now see that I’m a very different person now. There isn’t anything wrong with that though because we are constantly changing and evolving from our experiences.
I always thought that by now I would married with kids, whilst still trying to juggle working. I thought I would be still working with the same company, whilst maybe still going to the occasional airshow too. In reality, I decided it was time to move on from the company I was working for and have since had a couple of jobs. Marriage and kids I don’t quite feel ready for and that is ok by me. As for airshows, (pre-covid) I’m attending so many more and have launched Kelly Aviation, sharing photos and videos that I take. I’ve made so many great friends too and love all meeting up and enjoying our love of aviation together.
In that time, I can safely say I have learnt a lot. Both about myself and the world I live in. Here is 26 things I’ve learnt in 26 years:
- People change and sometimes you will loose friendships which can be sad. People grow apart and friendships may have run their course
- Saying no to things you don’t want to do doesn’t make you a selfish person
- Drinking too much on a night out does nothing for your skin or your health. Your weekend will pass in a hangover blur too
- Not everyone will like you but that is normal
- My parents are amazing and have sacrificed so much to allow me to have the childhood I did
- Loosing family can be hard but can also be a happy release when they have suffered illness for so long.
- Never talk to friends and family about politics. It will just cause unnecessary arguments
- Money doesn’t buy you happiness. In fact a lot of the best things are free
- Going for a walk can do wonders for your mood
- Perfection is a lie. Nobody is perfect and to try to be so, will just set you up for failure and burnout
- Kindness is the best trait you can have
- You don’t have to watch the news every day. It can be negative and draining. You will find out about important things soon enough
- Just because you have money, it doesn’t mean you need to spend it.
- The UK has some beautiful locations and you don’t always need to travel far to find them
- Its good to prefer experiences over materialistic gifts. Likewise, asking for money towards something you’d really like to do is a great gift idea
- Be grateful for the things that you have and not sad for the things you don’t
- Move on from mistakes. Reflect on them and learn from them, but never dwell on them
- Surround yourself with people who uplift you
- Dementia is a horrible disease and can be a harrowing journey. But you will also get moments of unexpected laughter & cherished memories
- Doctors are good at what they do but they aren’t perfect. If you know something is wrong, speak up and push for answers
- You don’t have to be skinny to be healthy
- Always trust your gut
- Blogging is so much more than just writing a post and hitting publish
- Its good to push boundaries and move outside your comfort zone every now and again
- Recognising and asking for help is a strength not a weakness
- Cuddles with pets make everything better
I hope you enjoyed reading this post. What is one thing you would add to this list?
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So love this!! Enjoy your birthday month 🥰
Move on from mistakes and reflect is one that I can really get behind. It’s definitely one that I’ve learnt! I also agree that saying no doesn’t make you selfish at all x
What a lovely post! It’s great to see what you have learned, but there are also some great reminders in here for now and the future too. I enjoyed reading 🙂
Anika | chaptersofmay.com
These are amazing lessons Kelly! I will be turning 19 this year and just yesterday, I was writing a post about 19 things I have learnt in 19 years and believe me, sometimes, we don’t realize how much we have learnt until we sit down and just reflect. Number 1 really resonated with me. People will always walk in and out of your life and that’s fine. Great lessons. Happy birthday in advance.
This was such a great read and so many good lessons! Moving on and not dwelling on mistakes as well as trust your gut are great advices! Thank you for sharing x
These are good life lessons. We all learned all these as we grow older and wiser. Thank you for sharing this beautiful post.
This is such a great list! I think number 1 is such an important lesson to remember. Losing friendships is really hard but you can’t stay best friends with everyone forever.
I need to remember to move on from mistakes. I tend to wallow and brood but I’m working on it!
I love this kind of post! I think that you’re very right about not dwelling on mistakes- and I wish I was better at letting go of guilt or things I’ve done wrong in the past. Thank you for the reminder that no-one’s perfect x
Happy Birthday. 26 for me was an excellent year, I must say. I love this style of post, it’s really open and candid which is lovely.
It sounds like you’re more mature than I was at that age – although, I’m only 28!
Rosie
I resonate with 1 and 25. People grow apart and turn into their own paths. This can be very hard to deal with, but is something that everyone needs to deal with in their lifetime.
I also decided to reach out for help with some things I was struggling with, which I first put off since I thought I needed to do it all by myself. So to everyone out there, find help/support if you need it, don’t wait!
I absolutely loved this, what beautiful things you’ve learned over the years! You sound wiser than 26 (almost 27)! Wishing you so much more love and light for you. Happy early Birthday 🙂
Love this post! Thank you so much for sharing this! I totally agree about the point of loosing friends! It can be hard but sometimes it’s for the best! These lessons are so important. Happy early birthday!
I love the wisdom in your post – I can’t believe how well you’ve articulated my beliefs as well! Thanks for sharing.
I would add that time flies and crawls at the same time.
These were some great lessons! They were inspirational and really thought-provoking. Surrounding yourself with people who uplift you is so important. Thanks so much for sharing. x
Lovely post.
I absolutely agree with “You don’t have to watch the news every day. It can be negative and draining”.
Throughout last year I spent a lot of time watching the news and felt utterly depressed every time. This year, I haven’t watched it half a much!
Happy Birthday.
Losing friendships is definitely a tough one, but you realise who your real friends are.
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan</a
Happy birthday month Kelly! Great list! It took me a lot longer than 26 years to learn some of those lessons and a few of them I’m still learning. Which is what I would add to the list, you are always learning and you’re never too old to learn something new. Thanks for sharing!
These are such great lessons. Saying no is something I had to learn is ok. Thanks for sharing!
Epifania | Female Blogpreneur
I love reading these kinds of post! Politics & family definitely don’t mix 🙉 Have to agree that cuddles with pets make everything better <3
Oh wow! Love these sorts of things. I’m actually working on one too for my birthday month next month (but my number is gonna be 35 so is a lot harder than I thought hahaha) I love this post and some of things you have raised are so spot on. I wish I had the knowledge and mindset you do when I was 26.
Happy birthday month xxx
Lovely post, great list of lessons
Enjoy your birthday 😉
https://uncuaderno4cero.wordpress.com/
Yes to this post! So many amazing life lessons here, I hope you had a good birthday xx
I am connecting with so much from this list! As a writer, I love that you too feel like blogging is so much more than just writing and hitting the publish button. The power behind this also sank into me: “Doctors are good at what they do but they aren’t perfect. If you know something is wrong, speak up and push for answers.”
More people need this advice. We know our bodies and selves in ways no doctor can. It is so important to speak up and communicate to get the help you need.
Thanks for sharing!
What a great list! There are so many things that are important life lessons that you can really only learn through experience. Happy birthday month to you!
Cuddles with pets really do make things better! This was such a lovely post to read. Happy Birthday too x
Great post. I truly like number 8, walking definitely helps a lot even if you are walking around the block. It truly helps you think and take time to reflect.
Brilliant list of life lessons Kelly. It is a bit of a minefield, life, but I think everything we experience is a lesson learned which is so valuable.
I hope you have the most wonderful birthday when it comes x
Eeek! Yay for birthday month! I hope you have fun plans to celebrate – or if you prefer a chill birthday, I hope you’re looking forward to that as well! One way or another, you certainly have learned a lot in your life, which is wonderful. It’s important to take all of this and grow from here. Have a happy birthday month!
I honestly enjoyed reading this post. It somehow feels like you’re talking to me personally. Indeed, time flies so fast especially when you’re so mindful about the time (when busy). I like how you talked about how marriage and kids didn’t bother you in your age and how you’re comfortable with that idea. I also liked the 26 things — kindness is the best trait to have and ofc, although I share the same political beliefs with my family, I don’t with my friends so I don’t talk about it with them. I agree to every single one of your lessons! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your birthday!
http://www.lifebeginsattwenty.com
I loved reading all the things you have learnt in 26 years Kelly, walking does me the world of good also! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
OMG these are some amazing life lessons! Number one especially is so important!
Katie | katieemmabeauty.com
It’s great that you took the time to self-reflect. These things you’ve listed are all true and relevant to others as well. Being understanding to what you can and cannot control, being kinder to yourself, and trying to get to know yourself and be in a constant state of growth is going to make you so mature (in a good way). Thanks for this insightful post!
Happy Birthday Month 🙂
Wonderful post so many things to reflect on.
I have, like yourself, definitely learnt that losing friendships is often inevitable. It’s a part of life as we all grow and change from each other. It’s sad but necessary x
All great things to have learned in 26 years! I learned the first one about friendship the hard way unfortunately. I’m 29 this year and I’m SERIOUSLY freaking out x
This is such a great list! I’m sure time has flown by very quickly! I also remember turning 18 like it was yesterday, and I am almost 34! Unfortunately it seems like the older I get the faster time flies! I’ve learned to just try and enjoy every single minute of it! Happy birthday!
Really love this especially the first point that sometimes friendships end and they run their course. It can hurt like hell but I’ve realised sometimes it’s better to let them go.
This is such a lovely post! Cuddles with pets definitely make everything better.
Happy birthday! This is such a great reflection. And yes, pets are the best!
Cuddles with pets really are the best! I still struggle losing friends over time but it’s nice to read that other people experience that too. Thanks for sharing!
Happy birthday! There’s some great life lessons here that have been necessary to make it through the pandemic, especially “ Recognising and asking for help is a strength not a weakness”
Loved this post! I recently wrote something similar myself for my 21st birthday. One thing I would add is that no matter what role a person plays in your life, if they’re toxic it’s bette to let go for your own piece of mind x