Five Things I'd Tell My Younger Self

There have been many, many, many times in my life when I lost sight of all the positives. I was so consumed by all the bad things that were happening, all the things I didn't have, that it clouded the fact that actually I had/have a pretty amazing life. I've grown up alot in the past two years so I thought I'd share five things I've learnt in my mid-twenties that I wish I could've told my younger self.

1. Don't compare - This is something I used to do ALOT. In fact, the feeling of jealousy would leave me feeling physically sick. From other peoples appearance to the things they owned, I constantly compared myself to others. As I've matured, I've learnt that everyone is on their own path, destined to do their own thing. You were put on this earth for a reason... To be pretty/creative/unique like you and not like anybody else!

2. Be humble - You never know what somebody else is going through. I remember being really jealous of a girl I knew at school. She seemed to have everything - perfect skin, popularity, amazing clothes etc. When I left school I found out that she'd had a kidney transplant when she was younger and was dialysis dependent. A pretty extreme example I know, but it just goes to show that you can never assume anything about anyone. Work hard, be kind, stay humble.

3. Everything happens for a reason - This is probably the hardest thing I've learnt and I keep needing to remind myself of this everyday. Sometimes we can't see any good coming out of a situation, but trust me, it's there. Some people come into your life as blessings, others come into your life as lessons. I've been through some pretty rough times but all the pain and hurt has made me a much stronger and wiser person now.

4. Take your time - According to my five year old self, I should be married with 2 kids and my own home by now. I've ticked off nothing on my list and guess what? It's fine! We put so much pressure on ourselves to achieve things within a certain time frame but nothing will ruin your 20's more than thinking you should have your life together already. Take your time and enjoy the ride.

5. Don't let fear hold you back - It pains me to think of all the opportunities I missed out on because of fear. Fear of failing, fear of looking stupid, fear of not being good enough. Life is precious and far too short to let fear hold us back from doing what we love. Fear is only as deep as the mind allows - face fear and you rob it of its power.

"Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose"