21 things i learned By 21

Oh yay... another blogger with the cliche "(number of) things I learned by (insert age here)".  I know, I know... I'm disappointed in myself too but hey, these types of articles help me out.  Also, I turned 21 in January so let's just pretend this isn't 4+ months late...ok? okay...
 One thing I know about these is that while many of them are the same, they all have personal touches that add something to it.  
So here we go!...

1. listen to your childhood music
Whether its Destiny's Child, Disney movie soundtracks, or another subset of iconic music you often heard growing up, listen to it some more.  It'll give you a feeling of being young again.  It's also great to just reminisce.  Plus I bet you know all the words. 

2. spend money on yourself
This is coming from someone who has yet to have a job for a full calendar year yet so bare with me but don't be afraid to splurge on yourself.  Get that extra pair of shoes, get a tattoo (depending on how your parents feel, idk) but make sure you have some self-control, a term I'm learning to understand more & more each time I buy Chick-Fil-A for lunch.

3. go running
It doesn't have to be for miles on end at some exotic trail, just running a little bit a few times a week makes you feel better- mentally & physically.  Who knows, you might meet a cute boy (or girl, or puppy) along the way.

4. travel
If you know me, you would know that traveling is my biggest passion in life, regardless of me doing it not as often as I'd like to.  Traveling can be hectic with all the planning, time, & inconveniences you may experience but the memories you will gain for a lifetime cannot be replaced. Also, who doesn't love food.

5. try new things!!!
This one is definitely not a shocker.  It's a tip that most people who like to ~influence~ others will dish out 1000 times but I promise it's worth it.  My small, but new, thing I tried out recently was indoor rock climbing (#adventurousbran).  It was definitely something I had to get the hang of but it was definitely an awesome experience.

6. TALK
Oh man, is this a big one.  Any one that knows me knows that I am a talker & will probably talk your head off but I haven't always been this way (I can't believe it either).  I remember being so shy and quiet that when I think back on it now I am literally like "HOW DID I DO THIS FOR 13 YEARS?!" But seriously, talk to people, you get cool new pals and become close with people you would have never thought would be possible.  It's probably not always the easiest but its incredibly helpful... + if you can't find anyone to listen I'm only a click away! (shameless plug- IG & twitter @/bbranmarie)

7. not everyone is going to like you...
This.... this is something that I've had to come to terms with recently and trust me, it is difficult.  You could be the nicest person on the planet but someone will always find something wrong with that.  One thing you should not do is beg for their time.  You are worth so much more than that (insert sparkle emoji).

8. hang out with old friends
I honestly don't do this enough & it is something I look forward to doing in the rest of 2017.  Don't forget about your high school, middle school, freshman year of college math class pal you developed a friendship with.  9 times outta 10 they haven't forgot about you.

9. people go through things
This is a heavy one but mental illness is real and more of your friends actually have them than you'd expect.  One thing I noticed is people like to pretend that they have one or use the terms out of context. Don't..... don't do that (:  It's not fair to those who suffer/have to deal with them on a daily basis.  Personally, I have been diagnosed with two (thankfully I think I have helped myself out of) but that doesn't take away their stigma.  If anything, I can understand it more because I know what it's like.  Be sure to check on your friends, even the ones who always seem to be the ones to check on you. You never know what that "hey, how are you really doing?" can do for someone silently suffering.

HALFWAY DONE!!!!!

​10. watch movies
Watch movies.  Be lazy.  Do it, spend time with your friends by doing almost nothing.  Two of my fav movies to watch over and over again that nobody has ever seen are Mean Girls and Clueless, like totally get a life and watch these.

11. GET! A! PLANNER!
You think you can remember that you have two club meetings this week, one on Monday at 6 and the other Wednesday at 5:30 while also remembering that you need to begin your essay for class and don't forget studying for your midterm all while having to fit work into your schedule as well! Yeah, I didn't think so, get a planner, they're cheap.

12. pick up a hobby
Okay, maybe this isn't your thing.  Maybe you already have some or you "don't have time for a hobby".  Whatever.  If you DON'T have one, you should consider getting one, just do it.

13.  people were raised differently than you
​Not everyone was raised the same way and that is generally a good thing.  If everyone was raised the same, we would be grey blobs walking around town.  Keeping that in mind, you probably have run into a handful of people who think differently than you do and thats okay.  

14.  don't spend time with people who aren't good to you
This sounds obvious but trust me, I've had to #cancel a few friends because they weren't who I thought they were.  Life is short- you don't have to keep those around who are doing nothing positive in your life.

15. do things for YOU
Doing something for yourself is one of the best things a girl (or boy) can do!  No one wants to think that this isn't a selfish act but it's really not.  You will feel better afterwards.  Happiness in yourself comes before anyone else.

16. think about your future
Crazy, huh?  Most people would say "stay in the present" but I think it is pretty important to think about the future so what you're doing in the present can help you get to your dream life.

17. protect yourself
Yeah... wherever your mind wandered, do it.  Protect yourself.  Thank me later.

18. STOP APOLOGIZING
I seriously mean this.  Ask anyone who has ever held a 10 minute conversation and I bet you $3 that someone (prob me) apologized at least once.  Stop doing that, unless it's necessary, especially us girls.  

19. it's okay to dance by yourself
I admit, I used to think people who did this were NUTS, but I've realized that it's important to your well-being.  Stressed? Put on a face mask, turn on those songs you know every single word to and just dance.  For me? I personally like to play Disney movie soundtracks or early 2000's pop.  10/10 would recommend.

20. find yourself
This one is a little weird, I get it, but hear me out.  I'm still in the process of this and probably will be for a few more years but it feels great to realize you are becoming you.  People might say you've changed and believe me, I have gotten that quite a few times but I had to let myself know that who I was being wasn't who I was meant to be & now I'm on the right path.

21. be happy
"Yeah, right".  Again, I know what I'm talking about, ask my friends...but honestly, just being happy has helped me get through so much. I can't really say that I have been faking my happiness and that that's gotten me to where I am now because everyone has (and is allowed) down days/weeks.  I've always been a generally happy person but in the last 2 or 3 years I noticed that I was genuinely happy.  I found what made me happy and ran with it.  I didn't let others bring me down anymore.
(Note to self: write a post about finding my happiness...)


Congratulations to you if you made it through all 21 of my rambles!! Since turning 21, my life really hasn't changed THAT much, only being able to purchase certain beverages publicly now.  If even just one of those points helped you out in the slightest, just know that it means the world to me *pink heart emoji*