Are you the kind of person who heeds advice or do you have to learn the lesson the hard way? If you are the latter, we are one in the same, sister. My beyond amazing husband, who is 21 years my senior, is always trying to warn me before I must learn the hard way. Many times, it has been the same lesson over and over. Most of these have really come to a head in the months leading up to my 30th birthday, this past April. So, let us see what I have learned!
Lesson #1: Value Yourself
Value yourself in EVERY aspect of life. Know that you are amazing and deserve nothing but the best from your romantic relationships, friendships, careers and education. Know your worth and except nothing less than that.
Lesson #2: Trust Your Gut
If the situation feels off, if the person’s vibe does not sit right with you, do not second guess yourself. I would love to say that I have often been wrong about situations where my gut said, “Hey girl, this isn’t right,” but I would be lying if I said so.
Lesson #3: Sometimes People are Seasonal
It does not necessarily mean that you cannot or are not friends anymore. Just that you used to have more in common than you do now, and your lives have just taken two different paths. This has been a hard pill to swallow. I am 100 or nothing in all my relationships and acceptance of change has been a big struggle.
Lesson #4: You Teach People How to Treat You
Everything from how people address you to how people interact with you is taught to them by you. For instance, if someone addresses you disrespectfully and you never say anything to them, you have given them the impression that it is okay for them to continue to address you this way in the future.
Now, I share these lessons so that maybe you do not have to go through any unpleasant experiences, like me, but mostly so you know that you are not alone.
My 29th year of life was by far the roughest year in my life as far as lessons go. I have learned every single one of these lessons in the hardest of ways. I have ugly cried many times because I am a crier. My 3rd decade of life is bringing with it many transformations. I thank my husband big time for always bringing raw honesty. He never stopped reminding me of the lessons above even when I thought, “I know everything, because I’m grown.”
