30 Lessons After Graduation
(This post was original published on Kristen's personal blog.)
1. After a hard day, there’s nothing better than lighting a fancy candle and taking a hot bath. Indulge in a little luxury.
2. Assume that everyone in your yoga class feels just as vulnerable as you do.
3. Keep going to yoga. (Or your chosen equivalent.)
4. If you want something badly, tell someone about it. Your best friend, your mom, the cashier at the grocery store. You’ll be ten times more likely to reach for that goal if someone else is quietly rooting for you. Bonus points if that someone calls you out on your excuses.
5. There is a difference between a guy giving you butterflies and a guy playing with your heart. It will be so hard to tell the difference, but pay attention. It’s subtle but crucial.
7. Drink green tea. And red wine. More red wine than green tea.
8. Keep doing the things you love. Adulthood is only as boring as you make it.
9. Book the flight. Sleep on a bunk bed in a hostel if you must, but book the damn flight.
10. Text back. Show up. Follow through.
11. Substance is essential. Worry not with superficial people.
12. Put your phone down and read a book. And then read another. Try some nonfiction. Read sci-fi and be surprised by how much you enjoy it.
13. Before you invest in makeup, sample skin care lines until you find The One. Take the money you would have spent on eyeshadow and illuminator and spend it on cleansers and masques and moisturizers. Glow from within.
14. Love is far better seen, not heard. But hearing it is lovely too.
15. Your salary will never determine your worth. Or anyone else’s for that matter.
16. Dancing at a wedding is the best option. Make a fool of yourself. Watching from the sidelines is no life at all.
17. Getting him to laugh will make you feel more beautiful than any little black dress ever will. (The dress couldn’t hurt, though.)
18. Send thank you notes. Real ones on nice paper with a proper stamp, even if it’s for something incredibly small. Gratitude is contagious.
19. The dark times will make the good ones feel all the more magical. Trust that things get better–because they do.
20. Remember: water with your alcohol. Water. With. Your. Alcohol.
21. Never stop learning. Your education doesn’t end when you graduate. Keep up with current events and stretch your mind. Try your hand at the crossword. Forgive yourself when you consult Google for the difficult clues.
22. Stop texting and driving. No, really.
23. Know this: someday, someone is going to look at you like you hung the moon and the stars and the whole bloody galaxy. You’re never going to have to question his intentions because his love will flood through you like a sunrise. Finding him is going to feel like opening a window on the first day of spring. Wait for that.
24. Every once in awhile, do something that feels completely insane. Great things await just beyond your comfort zone.
25. More than likely, your heart is not broken–just bruised. Be gentle with yourself, and be patient. You’ll heal into someone even stronger than before.
26. Back up your phone. Regularly.
27. Pray. Meditate. Quiet your mind and contemplate both your insignificance and your immeasurable worth on this planet.
28. Admit your wrongdoings. Own up. Say sorry. Humility is a thousand times more admirable than arrogance.
29. Ask people what they’re watching and reading lately. Usually they’ll have the very best recommendations.
30. Love like crazy. Be kinder than necessary. Forgive. And then forgive again.
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[Photo by Juliette Kibodeaux.]
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