19 Things I've Learnt at 19

19 THINGS I'VE LEARNT AT 19

Hello dear readers. I hope you're well. If you're reading this post today, you might recognise that it kind of links on from the last post I did, entitled 'The End of an Era' which I wrote because I was feeling nostalgic about the impending end of my teenage years (oh the feels), and also somewhat buzzing but petrified about the start of my twenties. Evidently, I have the whole ageing and circle of life (hello Lion King) thing going round in my mind at the moment, and I'll happily admit that I've been thinking about it a lot lately. This whole turning 20 thing is quite an important and significant deal to me, even though everyone is telling me that 21 is supposed to be the big deal, not 20. You're probably already aware that I'm a deep thinker and over-analytical individual, and this time in my life is essentially turning me into a submarine, because these thoughts I'm having right now are so reflective and deep and inquisitive. I guess I feel like there's all this processing I need to finish up, so that I can confidently and contently close the chapter on my teenage years, and start my twenties on a fresh foot. I want to gather all my thoughts together, and sift through what I should keep and what I should store away for safe keeping. What is going to be of use to me in this next decade of my life, and how can I use it to make all these things happen, and turn these ideas and dreams into reality?

 I know I've harped on about all this stuff for a while now, but there's just one more thing I'd like to do before I turn my sights elsewhere. Around this time last year, I wrote a post called '18 Things I've Learnt Whilst Being 18' and in a way, it acted like a little marker on the road of my life. A snapshot of who I was at 18, and what my year was like. Since the age of 15, I think, I've been writing a little summary of my year in some form or another, so in a way it's like a tradition. There's notebooks I can think of, which I know have an entry featuring me doing some serious emotional splurging about the year gone by, and what I've learnt and how I've changed. And I personally quite like the tradition, and I love looking back and pinpointing my progression bit by bit, step by step. It's a nice way to remember the good things, and feel pretty happy about life in general, as is it a nice way to see in another year and make it a good'un. So in keeping with my tradition, I wanted to share with you guys the most important things I've learnt this last year of my life. I hope you enjoy reading it, and that it makes you smile. I know I certainly did.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

001. How true the Nelson Mandela quote "it always seems impossible till it's done" is. There's a lot of things I've done this year, that at the time I never thought I'd be able to do. Fast forward a couple of months though, and what do you know, I did it. I got through it. And I'm all the better for it.
002. The art of good time-keeping and organisational skills. You think you're living life to the full, and then you get yourself a personal planner and you get a few more things down on the to-do list, and you suddenly realise how much extra time you actually have in life.
003. The following things are actually really nice: squid, pepper, peanut butter, wine, mushrooms, carrot sticks, olives, lentils, honey, weetabix. I feel like a changed woman.
004. How important it is that I have good self-esteem, look after myself, give myself time to process & not freak out, don't be overly sensitive & don't be too hard on myself.
005. A hell of a lot about the head and neck regions, and what can go wrong with them and how to make them better. Eg. I now know what the pharynx is, and how the voice works, and hey did I just hear an articulation problem over there? Well I can give you some therapy for that. Ba-dum cha, can you tell that I'm a speech therapist in training.
006. I'm becoming a cooking/ baking pro, especially when it comes to winging it. It appears that all this time spent cooking for myself is starting to pay off, so someone give Jamie Oliver & Mary Berry a ring and tell them to watch out.
007. I should never be allowed to talk to guys I like online, or by text. Sending too many winky faces, and pictures of cheese, and emojis of Mexican men holding beer, and sending messages as long as a Harry Potter novel, and asking people out in the early hours of the morning when you're still a bit tipsy, will never get you anywhere in life.
008. That being said though, when it comes to love and seeing what and who is out there, don't be afraid to say yes and see where it might lead you (even if you end up going for a drink when you've lost your voice, and any time you laugh you sound like a wheezing old woman on her deathbed), and don't be afraid to do the asking either. Even if you do get an answer you weren't hoping for, at least you know you've tried! And anyway, weird as it sounds, for quite possibly the first time in my life, being in a relationship isn't actually a big concern for me any more, so ya know, c'est la vie mes amis.
009. Always try and make time for everybody, and be nice, take an interest, and let them know that you appreciate and care about them.
010. If something is grinding your gears, or you're struggling, or you're feeling like you've got a lot of things you'd like to say to somebody, be the one to start the conversation. Be the better person. Say what you've got to say and talk about it. Get advice, hear the other person's side, and work together on how to make things better.
011. Give people a chance, as many people will surprise you. 
012. There's no time like the present, as illustrated perfectly by this Hugh Laurie quote: "It's a terrible thing, I think, in life, to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no-one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any." So if you want to do something, or your thinking about it, just do it, even if you haven't got the money, the company, the skills, whatever. Impulsiveness is a beautiful thing, so don't let your life pass you by.
013. Hard work pays off. Just make sure you're putting your energies in all the right places.
014. Try and act with dignity, maturity, kindness and grace.
015. Don't let yourself get too swayed by all the negativity in the world. There's a lot of reasons to be unhappy, but life is a blessing and there's still so much good out there. Still so many reasons to smile and be positive, so no matter how hard it is, find those reasons and hold them close to your heart, and do your best to share that positivity with those around you. Put some good back into the world!
016. Dreams really do come true, especially on a Thursday morning in March when you find out that you're finally going to see Bruce Springsteen live in person, right before your very two eyes.
017. How to be a proper grown up *flicks hair effortlessly over shoulder in a babe like fashion*
018. It's quite rare that reality meets your expectations, especially if like me your expectations are naturally sky high, but it's okay. It's good to re-align your expectations to make them more realistic, but likewise, it isn't wrong to hope for, and believe in more. There's too much cynicism in this world, and even though high expectations often lead to a fall, they're also a powerful motivator.
019. Give yourself time to just chill, relax, switch off and do the things that make you happiest. It's super duper important and it will make you feel a million times better, because after all, life is all about finding that balance.