Chit Chat: Things I Know To Be True

I celebrated my birthday last Friday. It was great and involved a weekend spent with friends and family. I am thankful to have people in my life that go out of their way to make my birthday feel special.

The last few days I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my past and thinking about the future. Admittedly there are still many, many things that I have no clue about but there are few things that I know for certain to be true and I thought I would share a few of them with you today.

ONE // Cutting off toxic relationships will instantly improve the quality of your life. The people you spend time with matter. Removing toxic people from your life is one of the best things you could ever do for yourself. It doesn't matter if it is a so-called friend, a boyfriend, or a family member if someone makes you feel bad about yourself or your life they do not deserve your time. You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life.

TWO // Life is not fair. In fact, often life can be hard and sometimes even cruel. Sometimes you will struggle and it is okay if when things are tough or you are overwhelmed if all you can do is put one foot in front of the other so you can make it through the day. It is, however, important to not forget that you do have things to thankful for and to count your blessings.

THREE // Not everyone is going to like you and that is okay. You have nothing to prove to anyone. Be proud of who you are and not ashamed of how others see you. I have always been fortunate in that I have never had any desire to change who I am in order to be like everyone else. While I never had any urge to give into any pressure to be a certain way there were times when being different could be isolating. I am aware that my personality and the things that I like can be a little quirky or unexpected but I love that about myself. I think it is a large part of what makes me interesting.

FOUR // You should always trust your gut instincts. You need to trust yourself. Listen to your soul and do not let the voice inside you get drowned out by all of the noise that surrounds you. Going against your intuition will most likely lead to disaster.

FIVE // Your heart is your best compass. Karma is real. Few things are more important that kindness, compassion, and empathy. People do not forget how you treated them and how you made them feel.

SIX // Meditating really does help your mind and your soul. I worry, I stress, I feel anxious to the point where I have had panic attacks. While meditation does not fix whatever is bothering me it does help quiet my mind and help me relax. I have also found that a few minutes of peaceful silence each day helps nourish my soul, strength my self awareness, and heighten my clarity.

SEVEN // Asking yourself "will this matter a year from now?" can put most things into perspective. Life goes on. If a decision, a so-called disaster, a failure, or a mistake will not matter a year from now don't lose any sleep over it.

EIGHT // Your body knows what you need. If you are not taking care of yourself and you are not healthy it is hard to enjoy life. I have often found that when I get sick it is my body's way of trying to give me a message. That message might be that I need to stop stressing, that I need to recharge, that I need to drink more water, exercise, eat better, or get more sleep. When I give my body what it needs and wants I feel better. This also applies to when I am emotionally or mentally drained. Your emotional and mental health affect your entire well-being. Always allow yourself to replenish.

NINE // Naps and long, hot showers are two of the best luxuries in life. Both are so simple but they never fail to help put things into perspective, to energize me, and pamper me.

TEN // It is okay to be a work in progress. No one has everything figured out. No one finds their way on the same timetable and being sad, confused, or scared are legitimate feelings. You are not alone in how you feel. No matter how we feel about ourselves and our current situations, there are others out there with the same emotions. Not many people are living in those instagram perfect worlds we see on social media and sometimes that is hard to remember. The important thing is to keep working on yourself and your life.

ELEVEN // If you don't want anyone to find out don't do it. It should go without saying that if it is something you would be to ashamed to call up either your best friend or your mom and tell them about it it is something you should stay away from. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

TWELVE // To heal a wound you have to stop touching it. If something makes your heart feel heavy or feels like a burden sit it down, leave it there, and walk away. There is nothing that says you have to hold on to anything that does not make you happy.

THIRTEEN // If you want something you have to ask for it. The worst that can happen is that you are told no. At least you will know where you stand. It is better to know than to always wonder.

FOURTEEN // The better practice is quality over quantity in everything. Life is to short for bad food, bad books, bad music, and bad people. If something or someone is subpar go without. Surround yourself with the best and your life will be better for it.

FIFTEEN // You have to be your own best friend. Always go with yourself, never against yourself. The longest and most important relationship you will have in life is with yourself. Accept yourself, support yourself, and cheer for yourself to do well. You are not always going to have other people in your corner and that is why it is important that you can always count on yourself.

image via: Ashley Ella Design