Guess who turns two today!
The occasion has me feeling quite sentimental.
We went into this on a whim- wait, what’s web hosting? Yet, it
has and continues to push us to grow in ways we could not have foreseen. Had
you told me this, of course, I’m not sure I would have believed it would all
come together. Thus, I was inspired to share other things a twenty-something
Vanessa should have wished she had known.
Travel.
We live in a paradigm. Why not discover what the world is really like?
Don’t be afraid to immerse yourself in a different culture.
Make a list of places you want to see and go!
When you spend some time working at a senior living community,
you learn to appreciate those who have filled their lives with adventure and collected unique stories.
All it takes is a ticket.
Money does not equal happiness.
One of the best days of your life will be traveling. The people you visit will have nothing.
They are displaced and live in makeshift homes. What they have, simply put, is
family and their community. That is all you need to achieve happiness.
While you cannot communicate with them through language,
they will radiate a sense of joy you can only hope to fulfill.
Give back. Then give back some more.
If you have the privilege of traveling extensively, make sure to give
back every opportunity you get. You will never forget their faces, their
stories, and the moments you shared. You will, however, forget the view from the Eiffel Tower.
That said, you do not have to travel far and wide to give back.
You also don’t need to spend a fortune (see next bullet point).
Be kind to others and take the time to listen to their story.
Sometimes that’s all someone needs…
It’s the best free gift you can give.
You are your own financial investor.
Sure, your piggy bank might be struggling after your ramen fueled college days. A puppy will cry every time you open your credit card
statement/car payment/student loans/fill in the blank here. That aside, your first job at your first job is opening up a 401k. Ask about your company’s
match policy and take advantage of it. Read: Compounding interest is like your bestie, the sooner you get acquainted, the more fulfilling your relationship
will be. A small amount now supersedes a large sum invested later. The same goes for your savings account. Don’t even think about touching it.
Give yourself some credit.
So while we are on the subject of money, let’s talk credit. Everyone handles money differently. Whether you pencil in every Starbucks sesh
on a detailed chart or mindlessly make it rain every time you hit Forever 21, always know your limits. If you’re going to get a credit card to build your credit score, you will pay every cent when it’s due. Especially if it’s for these types of purchases! End of story. I don’t care
what your interest rate is.
You are a bank.
Let’s talk about a different type of investment: you. Every
day, you make a conscious decision whether to keep investing in yourself, your
future, and reaching your fullest potential. This manifests itself in a few ways:
Invest in your body and health.
We all feel pretty invincible at twenty-something. We can go
out until 5 a.m. and still manage to cram in a morning gym sesh- even if it is half
an hour on the elliptical at a staggering level 1. Everything you are doing to your body now catches up with you. I see it every day; obesity has the potential to destroy the quality of your life far too early. A lifetime of being sedentary and having a poor diet is not worth the inability to do basic tasks while your mind is still sharp as a tack. It’s like being a prisoner in your own body and you have the control to change that now.
You are an athlete.
I know, I know! V, you’re straight-up crazy. It’s true.
Sure, the first time you try running, you will feel like it’s the longest, most
uncomfortable ten minutes of your life before you can’t take it anymore. That’s
the beauty of hard work. You’ll swear up and down, “I’m not a runner” or “I’m
not fast.” With hard work though, it just happens. Anything happens when you
commit yourself wholeheartedly. Then, when you cross the line of your first
half marathon, the only person you have to prove wrong is yourself. You are an
athlete the second you believe in it. Never stop surprising yourself.
Invest in your career.
Cool, you just graduated. Unless you plan on settling for the
mediocre, the learning does not stop there. Never stop asking questions. Don’t
be afraid to seek out what interests you, it keeps your mind fresh. Don’t be afraid
to stand out.
It’s okay to feel uncomfortable, it means your growing.
In fact, never stop pushing yourself. I know, sometimes you feel like it’s all for
nothing. I thought I was special? Life does not always happen on our own agenda.
If you get rejected from your dream job, keep at it. If you get a job you never saw yourself in, open
yourself up to the experience. All these things happen for a reason we cannot
explain. Our first job- or (these days) lack thereof- does not necessarily define us. What does define us, however, is how we handle these obstacles.
Stay motivated. Stay educated. Continue to hone your talents and grow.
Go to community college for some additional classes. Volunteer your time. Write a book. Whatever you choose to do, stay productive, and don’t give up. When you do get a job, making it into a career means taking on extra projects and going beyond your job description.
It’s quite simple: hard work + perseverance = success.
Invest in your sanity.
No more diet drama. Here goes: BFF does not equal forever. At first, it is hard to let go of
friendships. Really hard. There comes a point when you realize you have one person to look out for, and that’s you. If someone does not inspire and bring out the best version of you, they are not worth your time. Don’t worry, regardless of my
advice, true friendship eventually weeds itself out from the rest. What you need to know, though, is it’s okay to let go of someone who is bringing you down. When you find those individuals who bring you up, however, use every opportunity to show them how much you care. They
will be there to help you at your worst and celebrate you at your best. Surround yourself by those you aspire to be.
Stay true to yourself- no matter what. The most important
love is you.
A lot of people will get engaged/married/pregnant after
college. Sometimes you will feel like you’re the odd man out. What’s wrong with
me? Personally, I feel like one’s insecurity with themselves drives them to
fill that void before they are ready. There is nothing wrong with taking the
time to get to know yourself, I mean truly know yourself. Sure, Grandma might
be having an early onset heart attack because she does not have great-grandchildren,
but I want to be 100% secure with myself before sharing a life with someone
else. It’s okay to be different.
There is, in fact, nothing wrong with you. You just have different priorities and that’s okay.
You will get over it.
That said, heartbreak is what it is. Your heart is breaking.
You feel INSANE. Do I call him? What if he’s with someone else? The list goes on and on. It seems like it will never get better, you are destined to a lifetime of unhappiness. It will get better. The best thing to do is to just purge them.
Don’t don’t don’t try and “make it work”. They are not your friend, your go-to anymore. An ex is an ex for a reason. Let it go. The sooner
you do that, the better off you will be. If someone wants to be with you, they
will make the effort to do so. That being said, always be you, because you
deserve to be loved for you. Weird quirks and all.
Never stop believing in yourself.
Break-ups. Rejections. Bills. Life. It eventually kind of
piles up. Sometimes it feels good- I’m an adult now! I’m so responsible! Other
days it’s- I’m an adult now. I haaaave to be responsible…. Your mood will change. What
should not change is your faith in yourself. Life is funny, it does funny
things. If I have not already pointed that out, it will do things on its own
terms. You keep fighting nonetheless. The second you give up on yourself is when you concede defeat. That just won’t
happen. We will make our dreams come true. In another five years, I can only
hope to continue to surprise myself with the new things I have learned and
conquered because I have remained open-minded and maintained my persistence.
You are stronger than you give yourself credit for.
No one can take that away from you. You are only as strong
as you feel and give yourself credit for. Know what you want and never stop
going after it. You will regret it otherwise. Every time someone tries to put
you down, it is only a manifestation of their own insecurity. Disregard.
Never stop dreaming.
Now that you have your tools, never stop dreaming. Actively
take steps to pursue your dreams, whether it’s going back to school or starting
a website on a whim. You are as powerful, as confident, as you let yourself be. Have a strong
handshake. Speak with purpose. Embrace that which is uncomfortable. Never let your fear hold you back.
Sure, we live in a time where all the odds seem against us, but since when do we back down from a challenge?