(Me at 30...but don't I look 20?! -- ((snort laughs))
1) Get Married - As much I can't wait for that magical day to walk down the aisle and begin that lifetime journey, I realize how underdeveloped I was as a person. As much love as I had in my heart, I was in no way, shape or form ready for the responsibility and understanding that comes along with having a strong and functional marriage. I think it will always be a learning experience as you go, but I know many people who say they wish they would have waited until they were more mature and gotten more experiences out of their system before making such a big step.
2) Get A Billion Tattoos - If I acted on every impulse I had for some ink in my 20's, I would have a lot of sh*t on my body that I'd frown upon now. I'm not knocking anyone who has that fancy graffiti but personally, I think that the permanent nature of a tattoo should have some in- depth thought involved behind it. I know there were some times back then that I wanted to get one just for the sake of having one.
3) Being Afraid Of Friend/Family Opinions - I was very affected by the opinions of others as a child. I was too self-aware and I was miserable because of it. At some point of being treated very poorly by people that I cared for the most (mostly people I called my friends), I woke up and realized that I had to start listening to my heart and trust God more. I tapped into my passions and let go of my doubts. I took more risks and didn't apologize about it. I knew the people that were meant to be in my space would still be around and respect my independence.
4) Blaming Others For Choices I Made - At the end of the day regardless of what I wasn't taught or where I came from or who I came across, THIS IS MY WALK, MY JOURNEY, MY LIFE. Playing the blame game for anything I don't have or didn't like that happened is only hurting my own growth and progress. I am thankful that I learned (somehow miraculously) to hold myself ACCOUNTABLE for what I have or don't have in my life. This is how I operate and that mindset has carried over into the present day. I believe THIS is what it takes to grow in so many successful ways and areas of life.
5) Sticking With Jobs That Didn't Teach Me Anything - I am too talented of an individual to have my time and energy wasted where it is not being properly utilized. There is a question with employers about an individual's longevity and commitment to a job, but for entrepreneurs like myself, my commitment to authenticity and life purpose is more important. The longest position I have held (personally) was 4.5 years at a bank (hated it). If you are stagnant and miserable working at a job, make steps everyday to finding out (1) what you would rather be doing (2) what steps you need to take in order to qualify for the job/business (3) don't allow people to diminish your desires (4) remember that life is too short to be confined 8 or more hours a day doing crap that means nothing to you.
6) Following the Crowd - F*** the crowd. Like, seriously... I don't know too many substantial people that fulfilled their destiny by copying the footsteps of others. I don't try to give myself credit for being influential, but I know I am - however small the influence, I know I do. I believe that when you tap into your spirit and understand that we all have unique gifts from a higher power that were made for something bigger than us, it is easy to let the crowd be there while you shine and stand out.
7) Holding On To Friends That Subtract From My Life Value - There are some people who will never be 100 with you. Some won't even give you 50. I refuse to keep people around for the sake of not being lonely because I would still feel alone having 20 friends around knowing none of them truly gave a damn about me. I don't care about stunting for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and trying to make it look like I have an entourage. Some people are assholes and treat you like shit and I refuse to be a part of nonsense when there are better alternatives. You better believe the people I rock with go just as hard for me as I do for them. #Thankful
8) Ignoring Karma - I promise on everything I love, I have so many reasons to be spiteful, bitter, angry, just an awful person in general based on things some have done to me in the past. For a few people that have caught me in the morning, they might say they know that chick (I apologize for my Tourettes at the top of the morning by the way), but I have morals. For all the wrong that I know has been done to me in my life, I realize that some situations are bigger than me. I am a firm believer that things come back to haunt people that do jacked up things to folks. I don't even anticipate that though. I thank God that I have the type of heart where I don't harbor hatred for people. Hatred is a prison for some people and they don't even realize it. It's crippling and it can eat away at you.
9) Settling - If you aren't happy, you just aren't happy. I know that the times I felt need for a change, I tried to make steps to fix the problem. I definitely made mistakes, but I refused to settle for things that I knew deep down in my heart were just wrong. And more importantly, wrong for me. I have no regrets because I know that in many important areas of my life, I put forth my best effort to improve things that needed changing. (Advice: Don't ignore problems, face them and know that you have every right to have peace of mind within your life).
10) Have Drake To Hear On the Radio - YOLO has a lot of dumb ass young people doing dumb ass shhhhhh... Granted, I could make the same list of things I'm not glad that I did do in my 20's, but one thing I knew was that with certain things, you have to be careful. I said goodbye to a dear friend when I was 20 who died in a car wreck and a host of others that were in bike accidents, and lots of other things that took them away from this life. And more than the possibility of the worst happening, I believe that people in their 20s should have some aspect of the future. There are too many of you who don't have a direction, a desire you are aware of, a PURPOSE. And not having these things turns you to the wrong things and people for a false sense of fulfillment. Living and experiencing is fine, but knowing to LEARN FROM YOUR EXPERIENCES is an invaluable skill to have embedded in your brain.
