26 Things I've Learned In 26 Years

Yesterday i celebrated my 26th birthday so i thought i'd share with you all 26 things i've learned in 26 years:

1. Life is short - Life can be snatched away in the blink of an eye and inevitably the ones you care about the most in life are taken from you too soon so live every day as if it's your last and have no regrets.
2. Learn from your mistakes -  You'll make mistakes and you won't always get things right, but you can learn from them and make yourself a better person because of it.
3. Keep a clear head - keeping a firm grip and perspective on things is the key to happiness. From a distance, you can make even the bumpiest of roads look smooth.
4. Forgive and forget - No matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. The same can be said for you, it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others, sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
5. Be selfish sometimes - It's ok to say no, it's ok to do things for you and it's ok to put yourself first. You can't help other people if you don't help yourself first.
6. Listen to your gut - It's there for a reason. If you have a bad feeling about something and/or someone, trust your instinct because it's probably right.
7. Don't look for perfection - While you're busy looking for the perfect person, you'll miss the imperfect person who could make you perfectly happy. This is as true for friendships as it is for relationships. Don't try and change yourself into the perfect image of what you believe they want. It's about being exactly who you are and finding someone who appreciates that.
8. Happiness comes from within - You can hold on to past mistakes or you can create your own happiness. A smile is a choice. Don't make the mistake of waiting on someone or something to come your way and make you happy. Happiness comes from within.
9. Take risks - You can't go a take a step forward if you're holding a step back. Making progress involves risks. Fact!
10. Always be you - There will always be someone smarter. There will always be someone more beautiful. There will always be someone more charismatic, more creative, more confident. But they will never be you. You are your own person and you are unique and special in your own way. Don't strive to be like anyone else.
11. There's no set way to live your life - Do things your way and in your own time. Live your life the way you want to, not the way someone else wants you to live it.
12. Don't settle for second best - This goes without saying. Never settle for anything less than you deserve.
13. Being a mum is not easy - Motherhood is hard, it's tiring and at times frustrating but its also the most fulfilling and rewarding job in the world and you won't want to be anywhere else.
14. Attitude is a choice - you can learn to control it or you can let it control you. Be sure to choose wisely.
15. Stand up for yourself - Don't be scared or afraid of confrontation. If you don't agree with someone or something then speak up. Be a leader not a follower.
16. Be positive - Try to see the positive in everything and remain optimistic even when times are hard and it feels like everything is against you. Your life isn't about what happens to you, it's about what you make of it.
17. Your mother knows everything- You can be the best secret agent in the world and your mother will always know where you've been, what you've been doing, who you've been with and when you're lying. Oh and she is always right. BUT she will also be the most inspirational person you'll ever meet.
18. Don't judge people - every passing face on the street represents a story every bit as compelling and complicated as yours.
19. Looks can be deceiving - A smiling person isn't necessarily a happy person. Sometimes it simply means they are strong enough to face their problems.
20. Siblings are a blessing - There are times when you'll love each other, there are times when you'll irritate each other and there are times when you'll hate each other but nothing compares to the true bond that exists between siblings and when you stick together you're a force to be reckoned with.
21. Always welcome competition - it makes you try harder.
22. Have goals - but don't be afraid to stray from them if an opportunity arises. You may just be taking a longer path to get to your goal.
23. Learn to be independent - both financially and socially. You can't predict the future and you never know when something bad might happen.
24. Family comes first - and rightly so! But that doesn't mean that some of your friends have not become a part of your family.
25. Everything happens for a reason - Whether you think of it as fate or destiny, life never throws more at you than you can handle.
26. Each day is a new beginning - Regardless of how tainted your past might have been, your future is still spotless. Every day is a fresh start and a new beginning. Don't start it with broken pieces of yesterday. 

Vikki xxx