Confession: I’ve been 23 for just over a month now.
Confession: I completely forgot I’ve done these lists three years in a row.
Confession: I don’t want to stop now, so here is a late list of 23 things learned at 23.
(You can read the others lists here: 20, 21, 22.)
1 / Do not shy away from yourself; the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly.
2 / But also remember to look outside of yourself; being selfless isn’t the end of the world, you know.
3 / Write what you want to read.
4 / Also read what you want to read.
5 / Slow down.
6 / You always have time for a walk, and you know it’ll make you feel better.
7 / The things other people think or say about you do not have to define you.
8 / You will never be perfect!
9 / You can hear from God.
10 / Invest in the people you care about.
11 / It is okay to let people know what you’re feeling.
12 / Put yourself out there! Meet new people! Do the thing! It’s okay if you’re nervous!
13 / Driving to places you’ve never been before isn’t actually that bad.
14 / If God told you to go somewhere, you’re meant to be there.
15 / Cooking is actually fun and doesn’t have to be difficult.
16 / You are also allowed to take your time when learning a new recipe.
17 / Smiling at a dog and not making eye contact with the owner is perfectly acceptable.
18 / Prayer and journaling will start your day off right. Also, a cup of tea.
19 / You’re an adult! You are capable! Amazing.
20 / But also, you can ask for help. You’re not alone.
21 / Crying and laughing are both healing. Don’t neglect either of them.
22 / Don’t be ashamed of what you write, whether this be journaling, poems, prayers.
23 / God is on your side. He won’t let you down.
Writing these lists is always an interesting experience, because it goes from being ‘I have nothing to say’ to ‘I have learned hundreds of things and need to narrow it down to 23′.
I like it because it’s so easy to forget the things we’ve gone through, or grown in, or learnt. But this list contains things that happened to me, and things I had to go through to understand. I didn’t begin this list knowing what I was going to say, but once you start you realise there’s so much you could put down. I just chose the things that capture those larger life lessons, those things that maybe took a few months to walk through. Or, you know, 23 years to walk through.
Sarah xx
the softest words 