25 Lessons to Learn by 25

Time is fleeting.

I used to hear my parents and other adults say, "young people think they'll live forever", and I'd disregard the comment. But as I've gotten older, I remembered their words, and I came to understand them.

We young people never think that we'll get old. We don't like to imagine it - it's in the unknown. We haven't been there yet, and so we have no first hand experience to pull from. So we don't.

We almost think of older people as having always been old. In our minds, age is as much a part of a person's identity as is their name. So, we associate being young with our own identity.

Except, age changes; your name doesn't.

On the one hand, I believe in living in the moment because the PRESENT time is where we experience joy. You can't experience joy now for something that happens in the future. And tomorrow is never guaranteed. So, continue to not take yourself too seriously, laugh hysterically, watch cartoons, and run as fast as you can.

But you know what makes our youth so much more valuable? It's knowing that it won't last forever.

Although we should always remain child-like in our hearts, we should be determined to grow our minds with each passing year.

Each day.

Today is my 25th birthday.

I wasn't ready to be older. I hadn't even gotten used to being 24 (not enough people asked me how old I was last year, I guess?) but 25 feels even more foreign. What do I have to show for it?

I got to thinking about that, and I realized that I've learned a lot in my short time on Earth.

Here are 25 Lessons to Learn by 25 ...(this is not an exhaustive list).

1. Never waste a day of good weather.

2. Make friends with your neighbors.

3. Take yourself on dates.

4. Always take notice of your surroundings.

5. Remember to breathe... deeply.

6. Go camping.

7. Never stop trying new things.

8. Make friends with people different from you.

9. Be PATIENT.

10. Learn how to drive a stick-shift.

11. There is always more to life than your current situation.

12. A smile goes a long way.

13. Make it a priority to learn a different language.

14. Don't be afraid to get dirty.

15. "Always bring a jacket" - My Mom.

16. Don't sleep next to your cell phone.

17. Go to bed early enough to see the sunrise.

18. Wear sunscreen.

19. "You're fine! Rub some dirt on it." - Coach Frank

20. Time is your most valuable asset.

21. Stop thinking. Just do it.

22. There is no such thing as a "good driver", but try to be one anyway.

23. Feeding seagulls is risky.

24. A life of service is a life of fulfillment.

25. Always be grateful.

It's safe to say that we should definitely learn more than 25 lessons by the age of 25, but rarely do we practice listing them out. I challenge you to try it! You might be surprised to see what you come up with.

I hope you found some value in my list.

Comment below and tell me which one of these hit home for you.

Which lessons did I miss?

Thanks for reading.