Big Sister Advice

WARNING!  It's another long one, but hopefully worth your time!

The last time I was at my parents my mom gave me a huge stack of old photos from when I was younger.  For some reason, I can't stop looking at them.  I seriously have pulled them out almost every day since she passed them onto me. I am not sure if it's because I have recently been in nostalgic mode or if it's something that goes deeper. 

My birthday is coming up on May 30th and I am turning 34 years old.  I have not mentioned my age on my blog since I started.  I am not sure why.  It's not because I am ashamed of my age or don't want people to know how old I am.  Maybe I am trying to avoid the inevitable of getting older.  I just can't wrap my brain around the fact that in one more year I am going to be closer to 40 than 30.  Maybe deep down it sort of scares me.  Each year seems to go by faster than the previous one. Just like this year, can you believe we are almost half way though 2012? Where does the time go?

As I add another year to my life, it jogs my memory of what I have accomplished, what I wish I would have done, what I wish I could take back and what I want to achieve moving forward.  I try and not dwell on the past, but sometimes, I just can't help it.  It's who I am.  I am the type of person who seems to get stuck in the..."would have, could have, should have" way of thinking.

I have come to realize, in my "wiser" years, that although we cannot change our past, we can take what we have learned and move forward.  In fact, it not only helps us move forward, but our pasts help mold us into who we are in the present.  It teaches us life lessons for our future...lessons that are both elementary and doctorate level. 

I want to share with you what I have learned along the way because I know the majority of my blog buddies are still in their twenties. So, take this as advice from a big sister...or possibly an educated little sister!

Big (or Little) Sister Top 10 List

1. Don't be jealous of your girlfriends.  Embrace their successes and milestones.  Being catty should end by the time you turn 21. Remember, true friendship is about quality, not quantity. 

2. Get out of the tanning beds and wear sunscreen.  I know this one sounds superficial, but save you skin and health.  You should see the wrinkles I have on my legs, chest and other creases....not attractive!

3. I wish I would have lived on my own for just one year....no roommate(s)...no boyfriend...no fiance...no husband....just me.  I have not lived alone in all my years.

4. Be who you are...for YOU...not anyone else.  If you are not happy with yourself, there is no way on God's Green Earth that you can make anyone else in your life happy.  Simple fact.

5. Who gives a sh*t what other people think of you.  DO NOT live your life trying to please everyone around you. I am not saying that you should do what you darn well please and not take others into consideration.  I am just stating that you CANNOT live your life being a people pleaser and worrying about what others think of you...I have tried it...and failed miserably. 

6. Eat. Pretty simple. Don't freakin' starve yourself to try to uphold an image of something that doesn't even exist in "real" life...90% of the internet, magazines, movies and television are airbrushed and Photoshopped.  Don't stress about your weight...focus on being healthy!

7. Travel. Travel. Travel.  This is one major regret that I have.  I wish I would have ventured off to more cities, states and countries before I had kids.   I am not saying that once you have children the traveling ceases, it just makes things more difficult in the financial and coordinating sense.

8. Don't revolve your life around you career.  Yes, being successful in what you do is 100% important, but strive for balance. Your paycheck, small or large, doesn't define who you. And if you aren't fulfilled with what you are currently doing, start looking for something different...now.  Don't put it off until tomorrow.  There will always be excuses.  A fresh start in a new position will not fall into your lap.  You have to do the leg work.  Don't get in a rut and settle for being complacent. 

9. Express and verbalize to others about how you feel.  Don't make them guess or assume.  Don't play mind games.  If you love someone, tell them.  If you don't, let them go.  Move onto to someone who completes you.  This goes back to #4 & #5 on the list!

10. Life is NOT a walk in the park, quite honestly, it can REALLY suck sometimes.  Most of us think that other people have it so much better because we see their Facebook posts, Instagram photos or amazing trip on their blog, but what we are really seeing are just the highlights of their lives.  People don't typically like sharing the crappy moments.  So, when you feel like you are alone...remember that you're not!  Just lean on the people that you trust and remind yourself that we all travel over bumps and hurdles.

Whew!  I think this might be my longest post to date!  If you stayed with me, thanks! I hope that it resonated on some level for each and every one of you!

Cheers to making my last year of being in my early thirties an unforgettable one!

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