27 Things I’ve Learned In 27 Years Of Life

My 27th birthday is coming up on August 30th...it's kind of bittersweet. I do think that life is like a fine wine and it gets better with age. However, watching your youth slip away from you isn't so fun. I'm definitely a lot older and a little wiser, and I've learned a few things along the way. Sometimes though, just because you've learned something doesn't mean you've perfected it. Here are 27 things I've learned in my 27 years...

1. Your mom ends up being your best friend--I don't exactly know how we went from fighting every day in my teen years to literally being best friends but it happens and you'll regret giving her such a hard time.

2. You will regret the things you didn't do more than the things you did-- Think about that next time you hesitate to take a risk.

3. Your siblings turn out to be the best people out there--We were always fighting when we were kids. But, all of a sudden they turn into your favorite people in the world. They always have your back.

4. All things in life are temporary--Don't get too comfortable with anything...relationships, jobs, your body, etc. Things change overtime and you have to learn to roll with the punches in order to live a happy life. Don't be too attached to anything.

5. You're never too old to reinvent yourself--You're never stuck somewhere. If you don't like your body, change your eating habits and exercise routine. If you don't like your job, get a new one. If you don't like your style, change it up.

6. Health and fitness are SO important. I gained 30 pounds in college and definitely wasn't very healthy. I realized that no one else is going to make me healthy...only I could do that. Be mindful of what you put into your body.

7. The older you get, the more you turn into your parents--It's so true and it just seems to happen slowly overtime.

8. You don't have to wear makeup and do your hair everyday--You know how they say, 'those who mind don't matter?' Well, it's true.

9. Make people around you feel important--Make sure to say good morning to people, hold open doors, ask about their days. You'll grow as a person.

10. Wine is pretty delicious--I found it late in life. But, sometimes there's nothing better than pouring yourself a glass of wine and listening to your favorite music on a Friday night. It's good for your soul.

11. Marry your best friend and don't settle--There are so many people that come into your life that you could make a relationship work with if you tried hard enough. But, love should be friendship on fire. It shouldn't be so hard.

12. Stand up for yourself--Don't let people push you around in life, whether that be a boss, co-worker, friend family member, etc. Every single one of us is special in our own right. You're just as important as the next person. Find your voice.

13. It's OK to let other people be right--This one was pretty hard for me to learn because I tend to have an opinion about everything. But, sometimes it's really important to see things from someone else's perspective and let that be OK.

14. You can only control your own behavior--This was also a really hard lesson for me to learn. It definitely caused me a lot of heartache. You can't change people into what you want them to be. You can only control how you act. This is something I have to remind myself of from time to time.

15. Save money--Don't obsess over money, but definitely save it when you can. There have been so many times in life where my car would break down, an appliance would stop working, etc. It's good to have something to fall back on.

16. Push yourself--I think as we get older it's easier to give up on dreams, ideas, ambitions, etc. But, I've learned that if you keep pushing yourself in those moments when you want to throw in the towel, amazing things happen.

17. Never stop learning--Teach yourself something new, find a new hobby, get a new skill. Never let your mind stop wondering. Life gets exciting when you realize that it's never too late to learn something cool.

18. Cake will always taste good--No matter how old I get, it's always going to be my weakness. It's OK to indulge every once-in-awhile. ;)

19. It's good to try new things--The world is so ridiculously huge. There are so many things out there that I haven't tried yet. I hated sports when I met my husband, but I've learned to appreciate them because I was open to new experiences. I think it really made me grow as a person.

20. Laughing at yourself is important--It's easy to feel embarrassed when something "embarrassing" happens. But, I think it shows a lot of confidence and character to be able to laugh things off and move on with your life. We're all human.

21. Loving yourself is vital--I don't think we can truly love others the way they need to be loved until we learn to love ourselves. It's not easy to love yourself all of the time, but it's important to see that you're just as worthy of love as anyone else.

22. Travel whenever you get the opportunity--I think some of my best memories have been made when I've gone on spur of the moment adventures. There's something so refreshing about packing your bags and experiencing something different.

23. Don't sweat the small stuff--I have to remind myself of this almost daily. I tend to get anxiety over little things. My husband is pretty good at reminding me that the little things that bother me at the moment are so insignificant when compared to the bigger picture. Who cares if I get cut off in traffic..Every single person could find a million things to be upset about everyday without having to look too far. Find the one thing that's good, or going right in the world and focus on that instead.

24. You never really feel any different--I don't know how I got from being seven to 27. It really does happen in the blink of an eye. When I think about how different I am now, I don't really feel any different. I think we're pretty much the same people, but with more experience.

25. Pamper yourself sometimes--I tend to get into money saving mode from time to time and forget that it's also good to enjoy your hard work.

26. Call your friends more often--Phones work two ways, which sounds obvious. But, I think as we get older we tend to forget that.

27. Life is all about your attitude--When I'm having a bad day, it seems like everything goes wrong--'when it rains it pours.' When I am grateful and I show gratitude, it seems like good things happen. I don't think that's a coincidence. Albert Einstein once said, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."