Happy Tuesday, ladies! I posted on Twitter that this post was coming a little late (and maybe all this week) since we don’t have wifi in our new place yet! I’m doing all the writing and editing from home, but I have to go out and find a coffee shop to upload everything. Shockingly, not that easy. Either wifi isn’t available, or it’s too crowded to sit anywhere. C’est la vie, I suppose right? In fact, that’s kind of the perfect way to open this post. Since I turn 23 today, I thought I’d share some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in the last 23 years. 23 of them in fact, and this bonus: sometimes you just gotta make it work, somehow, someway, even if it’s not perfect.

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LIFE

1. To be happy is a decision you make when you wake up in the morning.
2. The more good you put out into the world, the more good you will receive in return.
3. Take risks, but think about the consequences first.
4. Facing your fears is the most exhilarating and rewarding experience.
5. Love doesn’t look like it does in the movies. And the real thing is so much better than the movies.
6. If you feel like fighting or arguing, keep your mouth shut. Don’t open it until you can say it nicely.
7. Family is important, but surrounding yourself with people who encourage the best of you and help you stay happy is more important.
8. Other people’s lives are not your business. Gossip is natural, but it doesn’t make it good. Make a concious effort to resist. Unless you want to say something good, nice, or celebratory and kind about someone – in that case, shout it to the world, and the person.

EDUCATION

9. Don’t just take classes within your niche or major.
10. An interdisciplinary education is worth more than a single-subject ivy league education.
11. Graduate students and professors should take the time to work with undergrads.
12. You don’t have to read every word, but you do need to read the work.
13. If you can synthesize a novel or unique hypothesis or idea based on and supported by material from the class, you will get an A.
14. Smart phones and the cloud are key if you need to work on the go. Speaking of, learn how to work/write while traveling.
15. Teaching your peers is the best way to teach yourself.
16. Group projects aren’t that bad if you start them with a positive attitude and a plan.

STYLE

17. You can wear just about anything if you wear it with confidence.
18. Sometimes the trends that scare you most, suit you best.
19. 75% of the time you spend applying makeup should be spent blending it.
20. Less is more, but more is also more. Know when each applies, and more importantly, when it doesn’t.
21. Everything comes back in style eventually.
22. Appreciate the thought in other people’s style, even if it isn’t something you’d wear yourself.

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST

23. I have so much more to learn.

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