Jun 9, 2017

I’m jumping ahead quite a bit with this post.  Actually 9 days to be exact.  My birthday isn’t until the 18th, but with all that’s going on I was so worried this would become yet another forgotten about post. (I swear that keeps happening to me!) With a big move and then a trip out of the country within two weeks, I’m feeling the pressure to say the least.

And rather than sitting on the floor with Zeus laying in my lap whilst I think about all the “What if’s,” I want to stay positive and look at all the things 27 years has taught me.

one. Easy and right are not the same.
I like to joke that I’m the queen of comfort zones. Because I really am. I  l o v e  my comfort zone. And picking up moving states, quitting my job, leaving my family could not be farther out of my comfort zone and is not easy at all. But does that mean it’s wrong?

Time will tell, but it made me realize that making decisions because it’s easy doesn’t mean it’s right.

two. “Even the most beautiful home can be without beauty.” ~Erin Loechner
I just read this and to be honest it really is one that hasn’t quite sunk in.  I’m a sucker for any Magnolia home and have always equated a good looking home, with a good life.  Not true. So I want to take this one with me into all my years knowing perfectly decorated bathrooms won’t give me beauty.

It’s moments like the power going out right before you open up Christmas presents that make your home beautiful with candles. I really really want to remember this.

three. A new shirt won’t make you happy.
Twenty-one year old Kelsey would be argue admittedly against this, but the seasoned veteran 😉 twenty seven year old Kelsey knows it’s true. No amount of new clothes, makeup or shoes will make your heart happier.  And if you are currently in that stage you are probably missing something.

four. The best five year plan is no five year plan.
Can we just all agree none of us knows what’s going to happen within ONE year, much less five?

five. “Your car goes where your eyes go.”
The Art of Racing in the Rain is one of my favorite books ever.  And I see it as a blessing I listened to it on audio tape with all these big changes happening so soon.  It’s a book full of heart and from a dog’s perspective on life gives the heavy motto’s like “We manifest our own destiny” a down to earth feel.

But “your car goes where your eyes go” is my favorite.

You focus on someone else’s life suddenly you aren’t managing your own lane/life.  You focus on the bad in life, your life follows your eyes. Simplistic maybe, but more often than not this seems to hold true.

six. You are never to old to find a new passion.
OH yes. There will be 18 year olds that are going to be far more talented than you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a passion for something as fervently as them.

seven. Scare yourself more.
Read – comfort zone queen.

eight. Also, fail more.
I hate how stigmatized failing is in society more.  (And how much I bought into it for years.) As if failing is the worst thing you could do. I can think of plenty of worse things in life than failing.

nine. Eat all the cheese.

ten. Be proud of your body.
While I think we should all love our bodies, to say that we have to always love our bodies is impossible.  We are human. We are with error. And I know that my super muscular quads look odd sometimes in photos, but they also get me through spin classes while I joke with my attendees about how much cheese we are going to eat after all our hard work.

I don’t always love my body, but I do try to be proud of it.

eleven. Stop trying to be right.
Turns out being right really doesn’t mean anything. Plus, I rather be kind, intelligent, funny, caring, etc. I have very little invested in being right.

twelve. Be OK with not being the richest, best looking and smartest person in the room.
Someone is always going to have more money, better looks and more accolades than you. Once you stop comparing it’s amazing how much energy you will have for life rather than always comparing and counting against someone.

thirteen. Thrift more.
I used to hate thrifting with my Momma… now I get proud of what I can find among rows of other people’s ‘unusables.” New and being right are sort of the same.  It’s all about perspective.

fourteen. Drink all the wine.
It goes with all the cheese quite nicely.

fifteen. Solo travel is one of the best things you will do for yourself.

sixteen. Instagram isn’t everything.
They are super fun squares but they hardly tell the whole story.

seventeen. Being alone and being lonely are too very, very different things.

eighteen. Ask more questions.

nineteen. No love lost.
A favorite cliche of mine. Don’t stress about the people who don’t like you, that you don’t like. Neither of you lost out on love. Count yourself lucky and watch where your car goes.

twenty.  Count your blessings  e v e r y d a y.
Not your Instagram likes or Pinterest shares.

twenty-one. Take off your makeup every night.
Literally the easiest thing in your adult life. Embrace it.

twenty-two. Celebrate other’s successes as much as you celebrate your own.
Being moody and grumpy about your lack of success makes others no less successful. And makes your life no better.

twenty-three.  Less is truly more.
Makeup, hairspray, clothes, friends, wants, etc.

twenty-four.  It’s ok to change. Just make it for the better.

twenty-five. Don’t touch your phone when you are at the table.
Something the teenager me rolled my eyes about.  Something the twenty seven year old fervently practices.

twenty-six.  Practice self responsibility.
It’s so easy to place blame.  On the situation, on your job, on your boss, on your parents, on your friends, but realize it can’t always be someone else. Sometimes it’s you. And as long as you learn from it you will be ok.

twenty-seven.  It’s just life. Enjoy it.