26 THINGS I’VE LEARNED IN 26 YEARS

With my 27th birthday just around the corner, I thought I’d write a little life post about things I’ve learned over the last 26 years. So… Here it goes!

1. To get rid of negative people in your life // If people are bringing you down and making you unhappy, get rid of them. It’s not worth having them in your life. That might sound blunt but you’ve only got one life and why would you want to spend it with someone who’s constantly negative around you? I’ve had to take a step back from a few people in my life that bring me down because it’s constantly draining. And I just think if you can’t be positive about the things I’m doing, then you don’t have a place for me in your heart.
2. If you’re unhappy in your job, do something about it // Why work in a job that causes you unhappiness? I know it’s hard because you get stuck in a rut, but if you’re not enjoying going into work and you get that horrible knot in your stomach when you wake up in the morning, your job isn’t for you. I moved jobs 3 times before I finally quit to blog full time. To be honest only one of my jobs made me unhappy. I was bullied and I didn’t want to stand for it any longer so I left. The other jobs I just felt like I had done all I could and it wasn’t rewarding anymore. I fell into working in social media. It was never something I saw myself doing. When I came out of university I wanted to be a stylist! But I don’t regret any of the jobs I did because it pushed me to blog full time and it gave me a lot of experience.
3. Don’t be scared to stand up for yourself // I’m not one for standing up for myself to be quite honest. I can stand up for myself when my family is concerned, but I struggle when it comes to friends. I hate confrontation and I get very anxious about the consequences of what I say in a disagreement. But if you’re really passionate about something or feel like you’ve done no wrong, why not stand up for yourself? Don’t be scared. If the other person doesn’t see it from your point of view then maybe they’re not understanding enough to have in your life.
4. Chase your dreams // I’ve had a lot of dreams over the years and I’ve always given them a go. Most of them I haven’t achieved, but at least I have no regrets. Sometimes a dream might just be a dream and not something you would actually want to do or feel comfortable doing. One dream that I’ve had for years though is to start my own Beauty brand, designing products, packaging and having my name on something. And I’ve done it! Visit sophiehannahbeauty.com to find out more.
5. It’s ok to have a bad day // you can’t be happy everyday. Everyone has their ups and downs and that’s just part of life. Don’t feel like you’re not getting anywhere if you have a bad day. Tomorrow is a new day and things are always different. I sometimes have days where I get SO stressed about things. I look at my to do list and diary and panic that I won’t be able to achieve what I need to do in a tight deadline. But do you know what… I’ve always completed my to do lists AND had some free time to sit down and chill. And I always think to myself after, why the hell was I stressed or having a bad day when things are ok now?
6. Don’t dwell on things // If someone or something pisses you off, yes you’re allowed to get annoyed, but I’ve learnt to try and not dwell on it. It’s not good for the mind. It’ll just put you in a negative mood and ruin the rest of your day. I find keeping busy helps me with this!
7. Never google your illnesses // So I’m pregnant guys. Just kidding. But seriously why everything you google your illness it says your pregnant?! I’ve learnt to just go see a doctor.
8. That I could love a dog // It’s so funny because you’d probably never think that a few years ago I was petrified of dogs. It was more getting bitten and not knowing much about animals that frightened me. It wasn’t until we had dogs in the family and to be honest until I go Luna that I learnt they’re amazing creatures. Luna is literally a dream, she’s all I wanted in a dog and more and I love her to bits. She’s my little baby! She’s also got her own Instagram so give her a little follow if you fancy it!
9. Live life to the fullest // Some of you may know that my Dad passed away a few years ago. Ever since then I’ve tried to live life to the fullest. Things like that happen to you like that really make you analyse life.
10. Life revolves around money // The amount of times that I’ve been down about not having enough money… I’ve lost count. I’ve finally got myself to a comfortable financial situation that I’m content with, but boy when I lived in London it was expensive. I couldn’t afford clothes, I couldn’t afford to do anything in London, I couldn’t even afford the tube at one point, it was actually depressing. I hate that life revolves around money but it does. Yes there are so many things out there that you can do that don’t cost money, but you really have to use your imagination which can be hard sometimes. Social media doesn’t help either when you see people you follow buying fabulous clothes and bags, jet setting and going out all of the time.
11. Take a step back from situations // If you’re in the middle of a heated argument, or stressing about a situation. Just stop and take a step back. I’ve learnt that this is the best thing to do in a hard situation as it helps you sort of see it from the outside and how to work around it. You CAN turn a negative into a positive.
12. Make memories // Like I said above, live life to the fullest and this includes making memories. I’ve had so much fun looking back on photos of holidays, things I got up to, special occasions etc. I love it when you’re having a bad day and you look back to when you were happy, it really does bring a smile to your face.
13. Never do something you don’t wanna, because you feel like you have to // Nobody should ever force you to do something you feel uncomfortable doing. Speak up if you’re afraid, don’t hide your feelings. I think the thing for me was that I always felt embarrassed saying no to doing something, but people can be understanding.
14. Your fears will get worse // Why is it that when you grow older you think too much into things? These deep thoughts really don’t help fears!
15. Don’t let your fears stop you from having amazing experiences // On the subject of fears, even though I have them, I never let them stop me from doing things. One of my biggest fears is flying but I would never turn down a press trip or never plan a holiday for myself.
16. Hangovers aren’t worth it // I have struggled with alcohol for years. People have told me that I am probably allergic to it. Even if I have one drink I feel hungover the next day, sometimes I’m even sick. I’ve never been great with hangovers and after years of suffering it made me realise do you know what, I can have just as good time without drinking, and therefore wouldn’t have a hangover! Win, win!
17. Make an effort with others // I still need to do more of this. I message friends and friends message me and we always say we will catch up soon, but it never happens. I struggle giving myself free time with blogging full time and now launching a brand, but it’s something I’ve learnt over the years I need to focus on more.
18. You’re your first priority // This might sound a bit selfish, but I’ve learnt that sometimes it’s best to just put myself first and think about my feelings for once. Now I’m getting older, I want to enjoy life as much as I can, and my happiness is what comes first.
19. It’s ok to be different // Who cares what others think. If you want to experiment with the way you look, do it. Embrace your individuality and be you.
20. Get out of your comfort zone // It’s sometimes scary to go outside your comfort zone, but if you don’t try, you’ll never know.
21. Have fun // You only live once, so just have fun. Also make time to have fun, it’s great working hard but don’t let the stress take over. Take breaks and do something that makes you happy or smile.
22. If you’re stuck, don’t be shy to ask for help // It’s a little daunting asking for advice, but if you’re stuck, it’s worth asking for help. It might just help your situation out.
23. People won’t treat you how you want to be treated // My motto is to treat others how I want to be treated. Which is a bad motto to have sometimes, because it’s always the thing that gets to me the most when someone treats me like shit. I’ve lost many friends because of the way I’ve been treated as I always sit there and think, would I have done that to them? NO!
24. Don’t rise to the haters // Having an online presence is hard. There will be people who love what you do and people who don’t. And unfortunately rather than the haters keeping their opinions to themselves, they share their negative views. I’ve learnt that haters feed off your response so it’s best to just let it slide and ignore them.Why anyone would want to comment negatively on peoples hard work and passion I do not know.
25. I will never like the gym // I’ve tried it many times, but I can’t seem to get in the routine where I go to the gym everyday. Or even at least once a week! The gym is just not for me.
26.  I need to change the way I eat // Robin and I eat appallingly and recently I’ve realised that the older I’m getting, the worse it’s going to be on our bodies. When you’re young you feel like you can eat whatever you want, but we’re on our way to our 30s now (omg scary thought) and we need to change the way we eat. We need to be healthier!

    So thats it. That’s pretty much what I’ve learned in the last 26 years of being on the earth. I can’t actually believe I’m 27 on Thursday! Where does the time go eh?!

    Peace
    x

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