4 Lessons I'm Still Learning at 20

The hard lessons you'll likely be in the trenches of at 20 years old.

Image from @plutocakes on Instagram

I'm 20 years old in three days!!!! Happy birthday to me :) I know people my age feel like this birthday is overshadowed by their 21st but to me, 20 is a bigggg deal. I've managed to stay alive for a whole two decades and I'm really loving this existence.

Since becoming more mindful and observant of my emotions and how I move through the world, I'm very aware of the lessons I've yet to master. Keep reading for the lessons that have been kicking my butt for a while now! And let me know if you're dealing with any of these too.

1. Finish things

This comes from Emma on the A Beautiful Mess Podcast. When talking about her best life advice she simply said "Be a finisher." By that, she means to be someone who sees their ideas all the way to fruition. She made the point that it doesn't matter how great your ideas are, if you never actually bring them to life, they're no good.

I'm a big daydreamer so, this is something I need to work on. I often have tons of ideas swirling around in my head that I just let live there instead of making them happen.

2. You can't have your cake and eat it too

There are tons of decisions in life that will put you between rock and a hard place. When faced with these tough decisions, I find myself wishing someone could just tell me what the right choice is. But for the most part, that luxury just doesn't exist.

There will be times when you reach a fork in the road and each path has its own pros and cons, and whatever decision you make will involve forgoing some other benefits. But that's ok! C'est la vie! Get comfortable with being decisive and not looking back.

3. Say no to crumbs and wait for a full meal.

Okay, I'm not gonna lie, I got this from an online tarot reading😂. But it was exactly what I needed to hear at the time! Take this as a sign. You know what you deserve and you know what is below you. Don't waste anymore time entertaining things that are not serving you the way they should. Stick to your standards and wait for that full meal to come around!

4. People will move mad if you let them.

Anyone else listen to Say Your Mind by Kelechi Okafor? I discovered her podcast recently and I'm obsessed, hence me picking up the very britsh phrase "move mad." It really is the perfect phrase to describe people who overstep their boundaries with me; it's madness! I've noticed that if I don't take initiative and stick up for mself, I let the craziet crap slide when it shouldn't.

Don't let people mistake you for any less than the magical powerhouse that you are. I wish for you all the cool confidence, self awareness, and quick clapback for those moments when you have to give someone a piece of your mind.

Thank you so much for reading! If you happen to be looking for some confidence boosters, check out my post "25 Affirmations Inspired by Black Women." As always feel free to follow me on insta @ariels_view 💖