25 LESSONS LEARNED IN 25 YEARS

While celebrating my 26th birthday and welcoming this new season of life last week, I realized I also have the opportunity to honor the years I am leaving behind. We are not simply a reflection of who we are in this present moment, but rather a collection of all the triumphs, letdowns, successes, heartbreaks, and failures that have shaped us into who we are today. Life is successive, there’s no changing that, but it is always our choice as to which lessons we bring into the next chapters of our lives! 25 lessons learned

I believe that nothing in this life, especially our experience, is ever wasted. Because the Lord will always find a way to bring beauty from our ashes and purpose from our pain. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned while writing this post, it is that I still have SO much more to learn!

In no particular order, here are my top 25 lessons learned in the past 25 years:

1. FAMILY ARE THE FRIENDS YOU CHOOSE – I know it’s often stated the other way around, but nothing will ever quite compare to the love you share with your own family (however that looks like for you). Keep your friends close but keep your family closer! 25 lessons learned
2. LIFE IS SHORT, SO LIVE LIFE UNASHAMED – Be bold and courageous. Who can be against you when the God of angel armies is on your side? You were placed on this Earth for a purpose. Be unashamed to share the Gospel and preach it not only through your words, but with your actions as well.
3. YOU ARE WHO YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH – Whether we are aware of it or not, we often take on the attributes and habits of the people we spend the most amount of time with. Be sure to fill your circle of close friends with people you can trust, who accept you the way you are, and who lead you more and more toward Christ.
4. SEEK TO SERVE AND NOT BE SERVED – The best way to exemplify Christ to others is by serving them, with no desire for reward or remuneration in return. And in doing so, it actually turns our heart closer to the Lord as well. Whoever makes themselves great in their own mind will be humbled, but those who humble themselves before men will be made great.
5. LIFE IS BEING LIVED RIGHT NOW – It may sound rhetorical but I often need this reminder. Don’t waste your life waiting for that big promotion, school acceptance, or new travel excursion to start living your “best life.” An adventure is waiting for you every single day, so go chase after it!
6. MAKE YOUR MISTAKES MEAN SOMETHING – Nobody’s perfect and we will always make mistakes, some minor and even major. But even though they can tear you down, you don’t have to let it bury you! Learn from your mistakes and use them as fuel to grow you into an even stronger, more mature person. 25 lessons learned
7. INVEST IN MORE THAN MONEY – Sure, we all want to build up our savings account and 401k for retirement, but nobody wants their bank account to be the only way people remember you. Invest in experiences that you’ll never forget, relationships that will last forever, and building up your character that will become your legacy.
8. BE DISCERNING IN WHO YOU SHARE YOUR STORY WITH – Believe for yourself that it is a privilege to carry your cross of what you have walked through in your life. Don’t just give it away and share your secret things with someone who will never understand the value of your testimony. lessons learned
9. IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD DAY TO HAVE A GOOD DAY – There is and always will be something to be grateful for. Staying positive and clinging to the hope of an eternal future outside of this broken world is a CHOICE you are being offered every day. A bad day does not constitute a bad life.
10. IT’S A NEVER A GOOD TIME TO GIVE UP – So don’t! Often, we learn more from our failures than we do our success. No matter what you’re walking through today, keep going! You never know how close you are to the brink of your destiny. Trust the Lord to carry you through and He will prove Himself true. 25 lessons learned
11. STAY TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE – Take advantage of every opportunity to discover your authentic self and display that to the world. Don’t waste your time, effort, or purpose trying to be something or someone that you’re not. Use your God-given gifts to step into the person that God ultimately created you to be.
12. DON’T LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO DON’T HAVE YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND – Why give a listening ear to people whose only purpose is to try and tear you down? The opinions of others, whether good or bad, do not define you. Your identity comes from the Lord.
13. IT IS OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY. BUT IT’S NOT OKAY TO STAY THAT WAY – Life is tough, there is no disguising that. But it won’t feel like that forever. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and there is always a purpose for your pain. Seek out help in the moments that you don’t feel okay, because chances are, your friends also don’t want you to feel that way!
14. PRIDE COMES BEFORE DESTRUCTION – Set your pride aside before you learn humility through humiliation. Ooh this one hurts when I have to learn it over and over again. Keep people in your life who aren’t afraid to call you out when it seems you’re being blinded by your pride. lessons learned
15. IT’S BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY – It’s a rule our parents tried to instill in us very early on, but I’ve found it actually becomes even more important with age. Make decisions wisely and with good intentions, giving heed to that still small voice inside your head. Nothing is more precious than your life and your priority should always be toward safety.
16. IMITATION REALLY IS THE BEST FORM OF FLATTERY – When we’re young, we can become frustrated at the thought of people copying us. But think about it this way: If the way you live your life is strong enough to influence someone else, make sure you’re leading them in the right direction! You have more influence than you think.
17. FORGIVE PEOPLE IN ADVANCE – Don’t keep yourself emotionally strapped to someone through unforgiveness. It will only hurt you more than it hurts the person you are unwilling to forgive. We have all been showered with a grace we will never deserve, so who are we to believe that we can choose not to forgive someone else?
18. IT IS THE ONES YOU LOVE THE MOST THAT CAN HURT YOU THE MOST – The more you open your heart to someone, the greater the chances they could break it. Fight for the relationships that matter in your life and don’t let anything come in between the love you have for the people you care about the most.
19. SOMEONE ELSE’S HATE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU – It is simply a reflection of their own insecurities. It is not your responsibility to change their heart, only God can do that. Be strong enough to walk away from people who are toxic for you and do not have your best interest in mind.
20. CHEAP IS EXPENSIVE AND EXPENSIVE IS CHEAP – Buy the higher quality item once and you won’t have to repurchase the poorly made product over and over again. In the same way, invest in what really matters in life and don’t get distracted by the knock offs that seem to promise the same thing. Because in reality, they don’t.
21. LOVE IS NOT AN EMOTION – It’s not just an endless feeling of great affection for someone else. It is the willingness to sacrifice, endure, commit, and lay down your life for someone else. Because that is the example that was set before us by God, who loved us so much He sent His one and only son to atone for our sins.
22. DON’T ENTER A RELATIONSHIP BELIEVING YOU CAN CHANGE THE OTHER PERSON – It may never work out the way you hope or envision that it will. And if they are walking in the opposite direction, it is more likely that they will influence you more than you will impact them. Give that desire to change their heart wholly to the Lord and trust that He will do it in His perfect timing.
23. YOUR LIFE ISN’T PERFECT, BUT NEITHER IS THEIRS – It is so easy to look at someone else’s life or social media page and create this belief that their life is perfect. But that is so far from the truth! Convert the energy you’re using comparing yourself to others to better yourself and imitate the qualities you find most attractive in other people. The world doesn’t need more duplicates, but originals. lessons learned
24. BE PRAYERFUL IN DECISION-MAKING – So often, we make our decisions based on emotions or a sense of urgency without giving any thought to ask for guidance from the Lord. Which tends to lead us down a rabbit hole of regret and the cycle begins all over again. If we commit to praying and seeking Him first, we will not only have more faith in our decision but greater clarity when things don’t go our way. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God for you.
25. AGE IS BUT A NUMBER – It’s so easy to get caught up in feeling “old” or listening to the lies of the enemy that we should have accomplished certain things by now. But the Lord established the plan and purpose of your life long before you were even born and He has said that all the days of your life are already numbered! So take each day one day at a time and be obedient in every season, regardless of your youth or mature age. The Lord sees your life as a whole because He already knows the end from the beginning. We, in our limited human perception, only have the capacity to view our lives in chronological order. Don’t allow your age to be a defining factor in the decisions you make in your life! Call it what it is – just a number!

I hope you enjoyed reading through my 25 lessons learned in 25 years! But I’m sure I didn’t hit all of the most important ones. Comment down below which lesson resonated the most with you and some of your own that have impacted you over the years as well!