3 Life Lessons I’ve Learned By 26

Top//Zara (last season, similar here and here)  Jeans//NYDJ

Watch//Skagen  Bracelet//Swarovski (similar here)

My 26th birthday was on Thursday, June 28th. I think this is the first birthday where I’m not planning much and counting down every hour like I used to. Don’t get me wrong I still love a day where it’s all about me and I get to feel super special with my loved ones…

But let’s be honest 26 is boring.

There is no song belting out how awesome 26 is and there is no momentous milestone to mark this year like entering a new decade or being able to do something I couldn’t do at 25.

The only change I have noticed in the last year is how much more comfortable I am with myself and who I am as a person. I still have no idea where my life will take me or where I will be even in 1 years time, but that’s what your 20’s are for right? Before kids, a house, and all of those other responsibilities you can take the time to discover what you want.

At this stage though, I am happy to say I know who I am as a person, what I want in a relationship, what’s important to me in friendships, and what I need to be happy in my career.

Check out last year’s post to learn about 25 life lessons I learned by 25.

3 Lessons I Have Learned By 26

#1: Do what makes you happy at the end of the day 

At 25, I left my comfy corporate job to pursue blogging full-time. I was working at a job where I hated getting up every day, my coworkers were all unhappy, and in general, it was a pretty toxic/negative work environment. I could tell it was starting to really affect me mentally and physically even outside of work. That’s when you know there needs to be a change.

While my parents are very supportive of my endeavors, telling them I was leaving my safe job was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I always prided myself on following the “pre-ordained” and traditional path that was laid out in front of me from a young age. You know where you go from high school to college then you find a good job and follow in that direction until it becomes a career.

However, I realized I had to live my life for me no matter how crazy anyone thought I was. I am so happy I made the decision to leave that company and give this whole blogging thing a real go. While I didn’t expect to leave my corporate job so soon, I knew had to put myself first even if others didn’t quite understand my choice. I’ve also learned so many skills in the process by throwing myself head first in this blogging thing.

#2: Don’t let society define what you have to do by a certain age

I think this is something my generation is definitely dealing with and is breaking the mold on traditional age milestones. To be honest for a long time, I thought by 26 I would be married and with a child on the way. I’m nowhere near that point yet and you know I am totally ok with that.

My boyfriend and I have been together almost 8 years and if I had a nickel for the number of times I heard  “when are you going to get married?”, I would be a very very rich woman. At this stage, I have never felt so at ease and happy in my relationship as I do right now. We know we will get married one day (I think it’s a bit obvious at this point) but when the time is right for us.

Don’t feel rushed to complete things by a certain age because your parents were at x place at your age or because traditionally you should be doing something by 26. I have come to realize that everyone has a different path in life and because you aren’t wildly successful by 26 that doesn’t mean you won’t be later on in life. Focus on you, work hard, and life will figure itself out.

#3: Being bullied made me who I am

Sadly, Mean Girl syndrome was real when I was growing up. I had groups of friends turn their backs on me at a moment’s notice, I was cornered in bathrooms, I had my locker broken into at school and all of my decorations were torn down (decorating your locker was a big thing) and much more.

I am so fortunate I didn’t grow up in an age with cyberbullying the way tweens and teen have to deal with today. At least I was able to come home and not have to deal with my bullies until school the next day. Looking back now, I am thankful for the experience. While it was incredibly hurtful to lose friends at the time, I also learned so much about myself.

I learned how to stand up for myself. I learned what constitutes a good friendship and have zero tolerance for these types of behaviors. I also learned how to not care what other people say about me. It first started as a defense mechanism because I thought if the bullies think they aren’t getting a reaction out of me then they will stop. No reaction = no fun for them.

Guess what? It worked. Funny enough it actually came to a point where I didn’t care what they said to hurt my feelings because they weren’t important in my life. The only opinions that matter are my family and loved ones. That is something that has 100% helped me in my adult life. 

These are just a few of the life lessons that I have realized this year. I hope 26 will bring lots of fun, great things to come on the blog, and who knows maybe a move to somewhere new. Feel free to share any life lessons that you have learned in the comments section below! I would really love to know, and I am sure we have a lot of shared experiences. 

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