23 Things I'd Tell My 19-Year-Old Self

In honour of turning 23 (no, it’s not a milestone birthday) I still wanted to embrace it on the blog. I’m not typically thrilled of turning one year older (let’s be honest, who is?) but this year I feel truly happy to be turning 23. I think it’s because I feel like I’m finally getting into the swing of things, I have a good job, a stimulating career, amazing family and great friends, what’s not to be happy about? Because I feel so at peace with myself lately (please tell me I don’t sound like a broken record) I wanted to share what I truly wish I had known at 19 years old. 23-things-i-would-tell-my-19-year-old-self The best birthday dress comes from Rosegal, it’s lightweight, not too tight or revealing and super comfortable. Not to mention, I love the slit detail because it saves it from being too bland. I paired it with my nude lace up heels that I cannot get enough of and a pink lip. Minimal but pretty. 23-things-i-would-tell-my-19-year-old-self I’m not going to lie, these balloons were a bit tricky to work with, especially because it was windy. Oh well, made do and it definitely made for some laughs.My sweet doggie Bella getting in the photos, as per usual.Yes, you’ve probably seen countless blog posts of this nature, you know the typical “30 Things I Wish I knew at 30”, “20 Things I’d Tell My 20-Year-Old Self”, and “A Letter To My 16 Year Old Self”, so why now? Why did I choose such a random age? Well, it’s because I feel that at 19 years old it was a milestone for me, it was a year of growth and change and it was also the year I finally realized what I wanted to do, or more or less be. At age 19, (if I’ve already bored you, feel free to scroll down to the pretty pictures) I moved cities, changed jobs and started a new program in university (yeah, that was a packed year.) I was going through so much change, leaving what I had always known and what was comfortable for the unknown. A new city means a new job which means new friends, positive right? Yes, but not at first. It took me a long time to get used to my new city, program and job. These are just a few of the things I wish I could tell my 19-year old self. 23-things-i-would-tell-my-19-year-old-self

Don’t take anyones shit, if you don’t like your job, if your manager makes you cry, quit. Life is too short to stick something out just for a minuscule paycheque every few weeks.
Move on. Forget the past, don’t dwell on what you can’t change. Think of the busy days you have ahead of you, these are not the most important days of your life.
Stop being afraid. Take chances, say yes to new adventures, make moments count, don’t let being ‘busy’ take you away from what you care about.
Maintain friendships that are important to you, don’t let them go – send that text, call that friend and make those plans. You never know what the next day brings you, so stop glorifying your busy schedule, make time.
Maintain a daily skincare routine, moisturize and cleanse, every.single.night.
Speak up, share your thoughts, don’t care so much what people think about you, because it’s just as well that they are terrified inside of what you think about them.
Don’t take the hardest economics course in your first semester back from summer in university, think about your course load and choose what you think will really benefit you.
Travel more. Don’t think you’re going to have so much time when you’ve graduated school, because chances are, those paid two weeks are going to fly by.
Go to more events, introduce yourself, build your brand, make people remember you.
Failure should motivate you, not belittle you. If you fail a test, take it again, fail a class, redo it, don’t give up.
Enroll in an exchange program abroad. I didn’t do this and always wished I had.
Schedule your time better. Don’t try and make two jobs work in the same day, at the same time, you can’t be in two places at once. Compromise.
Read everything, not just your textbooks and chicklits. Read newspapers, read travel magazines. Read it all.
Ask yourself if this will matter in a year, if it won’t, forget about it, let it go and live your life.
Stop playing the comparison game, yes it’s good to be inspired by other people, but remember who you are and why you are of value.
Eat heatlhier, your high metabolism is going to catch up to you.
Also, exercise. Go for a hike, do a workout, hit the gym, whatever it is. Keep your body moving.
Write things down. Keep a journal, you’ll want to read back on your memories some day.
Make more of an effort, listen to your heart, trust your gut.
Balance. Learn how to differentiate work and personal life.
Take a variety of classes, you never know what might surprise you, don’t just stick to the curriculum at hand.
Spend more time living in the moment, yes, it’s good to plan ahead, but not even God has it all figured out. Things could change at any point in time.
Stop buying pieces you won’t wear in a year, it’s about investing in classic pieces, don’t waste your money on trends.

23-things-i-would-tell-my-19-year-old-self I hope this post inspires you in some way, it’s a bit of a different kind of post but I thought it would be nice to try something new. I can’t wait to start a new year, fresh from last year’s mistakes and falls and ready to plough ahead. I think it’s going to be the best year yet. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for following along for so many years, I can’t express how much it means to me.