26 Life Lessons On My 26th Birthday

My 26th year is shaping up to be a big one as we prepare to welcome twins into our family halfway through it! With the thought of becoming a first-time mom to two babies at one time, I’ve been reflecting on the 26 life lessons I’ve learned in my short life that I’d happily pass along to them as they grow older in our home.

1. Always eat the dessert.

Life is too short to stress about having that cookie or piece of cake after dinner. Everything in moderation!

2. It’s okay to binge watch Netflix every once in a while.

I love a good Netflix binge, and I look forward to the days where I know I can park myself in front of the television and binge on my current favorite show. Don’t beat yourself up over having a few hours of time to yourself to do this every now and then.

3. Do something positive for yourself every single day.

For me, this means getting in a workout of sorts. While I love to get into the gym as often as possible, I know this isn’t realistic to do every single day. When I can’t make it in, I’m sure to at least take my dog for a long walk.

4. Don’t beat yourself up when your body is telling you to relax.

I’m known for having internal battles with myself when I know I have time to exercise, but my mind and body are telling me to relax. I feel like I’m wasting a day of doing my “positive” thing, but I try to make up for it somewhere else.

5. Know that it’s okay that your friends will change.

I had the same group of close friends all throughout my preschool, elementary, and middle school years. But when I got to high school, that group of friends changed. I didn’t worry too much about it because we went to a small school. When I went to college, that group of friends changed even more. Then I got married, moved to a new country, and got pregnant. My best friends today are not the same best friends I had in my early childhood days, but that’s okay!

6. Be friends with your family.

These are the friends that will never change, so be sure to hold these friendships close.

7. It’s important to experience loss.

Knowing a good thing while you have it makes you cherish who and what is important in your life even more.

8. You should have one friend who always tells it like it is.

Having a friend who will always shoot it to you straight is important. They can save you from the worst decisions and encourage you in the best ones.

9. Do things that scare you.

I’d never been one to do something outside of my comfort zone, but then I married into the military at 22. Even if it scares you, do it.

10. Learn to embrace change.

Change is scary. It’s also eye-opening, thrilling, and teaches you new things. Accept it willingly.

11. Put effort into your relationships every single day.

Relationships are important. With your friends, with your family, with your co-workers, and with your partner. Give them all that you have and you’ll get everything you can out of them.

12. Check in with your friends and family that are long-distance.

Don’t lose interest in your friends and family who are far away. Be the first one to make a phone call, send a text message, or mail a gift or letter. It’s always nice to be the one who was thought of, so make those long-distance people know you’re thinking of them, no matter the distance.

13. Materialistic things are not important.

Spend your money making memories, not buying “things.” Materialistic happiness is only temporary, but you’ll have memories to hold on to forever.

14. Work to live, don’t live to work.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t save your money—you definitely should—but if you’re comfortable, don’t go to a job you dislike every day with the thought of simply making ends meet. Love what you do enough to be able to enjoy your time away from the office.

15. It’s okay if people dislike you.

You don’t have to be friends with everyone, and that’s okay! If people dislike you, it means you had an opinion or stood up for yourself. It’s okay if not everyone wants to be your BFF.

16. And you don’t have to like everyone.

And you don’t have to be everyone’s BFF either.

17. Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses.

Be happy with your life, who you are, and what you have. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else and always wanting the next best thing. It’s okay to just be you.

18. Stop worrying about what other people think of you.

It’s nice to know what some people in your life think of you, but it really doesn’t matter what Sally two doors down the street thinks of the name you chose for your baby, so don’t stress about it.

19. Be firm in what you believe in.

Your beliefs are exactly that—yours. Don’t feel like you need to change your perspective on certain things in life just because of those around you.

20. Read. A lot.

Reading is good for you. While it may not be your favorite thing to do, there are so many benefits that come along with picking up a newspaper or a good book every once in a while.

21. It’s not worth it to hold on to anger.

Being angry feels good for only a minute. Rebuilding relationships, dealing with stress, and admitting your faults take much longer than that one minute to do, so when it comes to anger, just don’t.

22. There are always better tomorrows.

A bad day is just that—one bad day. There are always brighter tomorrows, so don’t let one bad day get you down.

23. You are never given a problem that you cannot handle.

You’re capable of much more than you think you are, so know you won’t ever be faced with a situation that you can’t overcome.

24. Perfection isn’t real.

No one and nothing is perfect. Accept your faults and move on.

25. Life can be complicated.

Things can be messy in life, so do what you can to just keep life simple.

26. I’m still learning.

Every day is a new adventure, and I am still on it.