38 Things I’ve Learned In 38 Years

I’ve learned many things in my 38 rotations around the sun. Well, I’ve learned 38 things; no more, no less.

These are the 38 things I’ve learned in 38 years.

Self/Development

• Negative emotions can be felt without being reacted to
• It’s fine to outgrow people, including and most importantly, past reiterations of yourself
• Humans are easy to trick, not because we’re “bad” or “sheep,” necessarily, but because we possess caveman brains in a modern world; our synapses have in no way caught up
• There is a scary void between setting goals and seeing results, and the only way out is through (self-discipline, trust the process)
• Tensing and relaxing muscles from the top of the head to the feet is an instant de-stressor
• Benjamin Franklin was right about that whole “early to bed, early to rise” thing
• Let people badmouth you without presenting “your side;” time always tells who is resilient, reliable, stable, honorable, and kind
• Wait before eating that candy, bingeing that show, saying your piece, or indulging that instinct; I’m not even saying don’t do it, just wait a bit (time changes perspective, and non-gratification increases self-discipline)
• Mindfulness is just a hippie word for awareness; it’s for everyone and it can be honed

General Musings

• Arguing with a stranger on someone else’s post is beyond tacky, do that mess in the Buzzfeed article comment sections or somethings
• Anti-consumerism provides a healthy distance from this insane world
• People who regularly complain about what they can’t control are the worst
• Popularity and success are not the same thing; a blurry but important distinction
• We think we’re participating on social media but we’re customers
• Wealth indicators are duuuuuuuummmmmmmb
• No one polices women on the internet better than other women
• Nothing shuts down problematic behavior faster than directness and derision
• People are what they repeatedly do. Period.

Food/Nutrition

• Quarterly 21-day resets are incredibly helpful
• Put 1-2 tablespoons of water in empty muffin tins so the other muffins in the pan cook evenly
• Sugar addiction (and its subsequent withdrawal) is reeeeeeaaaaaal
• Tofu always requires more seasoning
• Sparkling water isn’t the worst soda replacement
• Beans + cumin=the best
• Mini chocolate chips improved my chocolate chip cookie game
• Butter makes everything better
• A tiny bit of cream cheese makes super creamy mashed potatoes
• Meal planning and list making saves copious cash and calories

Beauty Advice

• Cheap at-home skin treatments like microneedling, glycolic peels, and stainless steel rollers helps drugstore skincare pack a bigger punch
• Wrinkles get a bad rap, but they can be easily covered; skin texture/evenness and pore size are bigger culprits
• Speaking of, sugar and sun are the biggest skin agers
• Tightlining is just as important as mascara in making eyelashes look thicker
• While lemon water doesn’t “alkalize” you, it does provide a tasty dose of vitamin C that boosts skin’s collagen production
• A ripe avocado and two eggs all smashed up is the best hair mask
• A peachy-hued color correcting concealer masks dark circles best (put regular colored concealer over top)
• 1/2 cup olive oil + 1/2 cup brown sugar= great body scrub
• Don’t smile to find the “apples” of the cheek when applying brush; when you stop smiling that area drops and it’s gonna look weird
• To look especially “snatched” apply cream contour and highlighter under foundation

What are some of your biggest life lessons? Meet me in the comments and let me know.

Love,