24 Karats: 24 Knowledge Nuggets I’ve Acquired By My 24th birthday

 

I am officially 24 years gold today. The last time I cared this much about my birthday, I was holding two palms up to my dad, showing him that I was in the big leagues, the double digits! I vaguely remember slowly dropping my hands afterward as a morbid thought crossed my mind: Unless I make it to 100, this is it for me digit-wise. Literally double-digits for life. Yeah, I was a very unique child. Anyway, 23 was a year of stretching, preparation, and being pushed to the limits of BS and beyond. But I’m here, and I am happy. I feel a certain way going into 24 that I’ve never felt before. This. Is. My. Year.

 

1. Bravery can be as subtle as the breath before you hit ‘publish’ or as blaring as a siren at midnight.

2. In terms of healing, some things take time, others take therapy. It is crucial to know the difference.

3. Grace will take you where the hustle cannot – I’ve always been a hard worker. But I’ve also been blessed with one million and one things that I don’t deserve. I would not be here today were it not for that grace.

4. No one robs an empty house. If you are under attack, if you are being lied on, if you are being targeted, it is because you hold much value. Don’t ever let the circumstances of your attack convince you otherwise.

5. Your support system ain’t sh*t– if you don’t let it be. Utilize it!

6. Good things don’t come to those who wish or wait, but to those who believe. That belief includes the dreaming and the doing, the wanting and the working.

7. Haste makes waste. I sound like a dusty old ruler-rearing nun here, but really. I’ve sadly witnessed so many awesome projects fall to dirt because the implementer was rushing through them. Take your time. Life is short, which means you don’t have time to waste doing it wrong or doing it over.

8. The deeper the hurt, the better the material. Creatives, this one’s for you!

9. You get 60 seconds to mourn the things you can’t change. Sometimes 6o seconds is a week.

10. Not everyone is like you. They will not be as kind. They will not be as thoughtful. You’ll rub off on some people and others will never change. Don’t ever let this harden you. Don’t ever let this change who you are. Continue to love, continue to be thoughtful. Continue to be kind.

11. Don’t argue with your destiny. Trust me, it’s a losing game. You’ll be beaten down, dragged out of the arena, and then called back for more. Reach deep within and accept the natural gifts, talents, and desires you’ve been given. Work with what’s on your mind. Life is so much easier that way.

12. Your presence is a present. Sometimes, people just want you to show up. Be there. Be present.

14. Normal is relative. Ignore the blinking blank stares. What’s normal for you is not for them, and it’s all good.

15. “It’s mine.” Two of the most powerful words you could ever utter. Whether you’re speaking over your body, your career, your dream, whatever. Remember who owns it. “It’s mine” will change your life.

16. The to-do list is like a child, it never stops growing. Do your best to nurture and tame it when it gets out of control.

17. Try-hards die hard. Trying to be something you’re not is the hamster wheel of all mistakes. L-Boogie said it best “And everytime I tried to be what someone else thought of me, so caught up I was unable to achieve.” -The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

18. Walking in your purpose is the scariest, yet most rewarding, thing you can ever do. The nausea, the shaking, the fear, the anxiety– all worth it.

19. Train yourself to recognize that you deserve the world.

20. The millisecond something stops serving you, stop doing it. Period.

21. Sometimes it’s best to go ahead and break. You get a chance to rearrange yourself during the re-build.

22. The same pain and struggle that breaks a victim, births a hero.

23. A big heart and a kind spirit will propel you and elevate you in this life. It never fails, even when it feels like itdoes.

24. Tell your story, start a revolution. Someone will inevitably connect. Someone will have a “me too” moment. Someone will, in turn, tell their story. And you know how it goes, peace after revolution.

 

24 will not be a waste. 24 will be full of amazement and achievement. It’s mine, after all. In this, my golden year, I wish you so much love, so much light, and magic.

 

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