25 “Life Lessons” I learned in 25 years

1) Changing paths is not betrayal to your former or current self.

2) Watch fish. Watch them swim. It is my mental health tip I absolutely swear by. Just, go watch some fish. It will do your mind wonders.

3) Sing. Even if you can’t. Even if it doesn’t sound good. Even if you can’t carry a tune. Sing.

4) And dance. Dance around your kitchen. Dance while changing into clothes in the morning. No one is watching. Dance! It feels good and can really brighten a gloomy mood.

5) Picky eaters get little to no compassion. People aren’t picky eaters for “funsies.” If you’re feeling annoyed with someone being picky about food, just know that they are probably in far more distress and conflict within themselves and their relationship with food. I will forever defend picky eaters on the internet when they are being unfairly attacked.

6) Reality TV shows are never actual reality. It’s set up in a way that will attract or please audiences.

7) RBF is not indicative of character.

8) Bribes are not infallible. Sometimes they are even offensive.

9) There is a difference between “I don’t like it” and “it’s not good.”

10) Impulsively getting an animal because you think you’re saving them or they need you sometimes does more harm than good, for both you and the animal. Most times, bringing home a new animal requires planning. Impulse bringing a new animal into your unfit home is not in their best interest.

11) Do things as an adult that you loved doing as a kid.

12) You do not have the travel to live an interesting and exciting life. You can achieve that even if you stay in your hometown forever.

13) Self diagnosing truly is not a good idea.

14) Don’t take yourself too seriously. And don’t take other people too seriously either.

15) If you don’t already have a collection, start one. Sponges, flower shaped chocolates, slip on sandals, yugioh cards, blue bookmarks, anything.

16) Constantly bragging about how smart you are makes you appear the complete opposite. It makes you seem overly conceited and generally not very bright. No one cares what your IQ is. Don’t bring it up. (You’re probably wrong about your IQ anyway because IQ testing is not actually as common and accessible as people may think.)

17) Try something new. Preferably an activity or a hobby. Something you can do.

18) Give people the benefit of the doubt.

19) It is incredibly unfortunate how quickly mentally ill individuals are “punished” and locked away. This is why people often don’t reach out.

20) Athletes are performers. Performers are athletes.

21) A spoonful of sugar eases a bad case of the hiccups. An eye bag placed over the eyes or forehead eases headaches.

22) Invest in a good quality bicycle and a good quality laptop. Basically everything else, you can make-do with the cheap stuff.

23) Your giving and receiving love languages can be different.

24) You need a favourite colour. You need a colour that makes you happiest. Don’t have one? Yes you do. You only think you don’t.

25) And, finally, everyone seeks attention at some point or another. It’s human. It’s okay. When feeling this way, find a positive outlet rather than a negative outlet. Avoid going to drastic measures for the attention you crave. You can find a way to still get people to notice you if you do something you can be proud of! Other people may be proud as well!