It's my birthday! I'm finally 19 years old and, to be honest, I'm nervous about it. Who wants responsibilities? Every year, however, I look forward to my birthday and this year I looked forward to it even more because it's the 19th and I've turned 19.
Because I'm in such a good mood, I decided to take my faux leather overalls out for some air. I've only ever worn them once before because I love them so much and plan on having them around for many years to come. These overalls played a big part in me looking and feeling good for my birthday :)
Life is about embracing everything, learning and discovering yourself. Here's a list of 19 lessons I've learned in the 19 years of my life:
1. It's okay to have an imaginary boyfriend: This is for all the happily single ladies who are trying to get a determined guy off their back. Think up a name, attach a sexy celebrity's physical description to it and stick to that story.
2. Always carry your ID with you: Otherwise pile that make-up on if you're legal and still look 12. I was denied drinks at a recent event I went to because the bartender didn't believe I was 18.
3. Be Yoncé: To be happy, think like Beyoncé. Carry yourself in a way that makes people believe you've got no flaws and no worries. Embrace your flaws and own them. If you're not bothered by the things that would usually classify you as 'unattractive', why should you worry that other people are bothered?
4. Lie to yourself: I always tell myself that I'm badder than Rihanna and that my booty game tops Nicki Minaj's. The truth is, I'm an awkward little thing who lies to herself everyday to boost her confidence. The lies work for me most of the time to the point that sometimes random strangers drop compliments when I'm out in public. Try it.
5. There's always a bright side: I've cried myself to sleep over many things that I had no control over. At the beginning of the year, I'd planned a trip to England and it didn't happen. I was so excited about it that when it failed, I couldn't believe it. But after I reminded myself that there will be plenty of opportunities for me to travel in the future, life fell into place. I found love and rediscovered myself and my passions.
6. Work hard, slay hard: Sometimes we have dreams that the people around us don't understand (like my dream to be a Ninja Turtle lol). If you can't go a day without thinking about it, work on it no matter how tiny the step you take. I'm so determined to make it, I already know what song I'm going to blast once I've collected my first salary from making it... and I know who I'll be calling to rap it to.
7. Beware of the wolf: Over the years, I've realised that not everyone who claims to be true, really is. I've lost 'friends' for various reasons and I found it easy to let go because I don't want to be around people who don't honestly feed my energy like I do theirs.
8. Birds of the same feather: just like my friends, I'm a dreamer, I'm real and able to pull them to the side and talk some sense into them when they lose it and I encourage them to do what they dream of (although they don't quite support my Ninja Turtle dream...). To be happy, one must surround oneself with people of the same mind set. You can't be a chihuahua mingling with rottweilers because they'll most likely convince you that you'll one day be as big as them and then laugh at you behind your back.
9. Stick it to d'man: Sometimes speaking your mind is the best way to get understood. Sometimes questioning authority is the best way to learn. I recently spoke up to my mom and even though she got mad at me and yelled, it sunk in that she'd been hurting my feelings by doing certain things and she's now refrained from doing those things and our relationship is better than ever.
10. Individuality is beautiful: If you've recently looked at my IG, you'll get a visual idea of what this point means since I recently put up a picture I took from my garden of a rose that was blooming on its own. If people were all the same, life would suck. I used to be shy and hidden but I found that being myself made me lovable. Sometimes I visit places and find that they still ask about me months later. Standing out is beautiful.
11. God doesn't do coincidences: Everything that happens in your life happens for a reason and your struggles are lessons building you up for something that's yet to come. Some time in the future, this will make sense :)
12. Appreciate the little things: Nothing is sadder than not appreciating little things like PVR. One time I knew I wouldn't be home in time for my favourite tv show but, because I strongly believed I'd catch the repeat, I didn't record it. Then on the day of the show's repeat, the power went off :(
13. Life is a runway: I over think before stepping out of the house: what if I bump into that boy from high school who I liked but wouldn't date me cause he thought I was ugly? What if I bump into my favourite celebrity and I look ugly? I won't wanna take a selfie! This, ladies and gents, is why it takes me so long to get ready. I always want to make a good lasting first impression wherever I go. It's not even about what other people think. It's about me feeling runway worthy in what I'm wearing.
14. You can't please everyone: And you shouldn't try to.
15. Weird spelled backwards is Awesome: My music taste goes from Justin Bieber to T.I in a split second, I watch Fashion TV for fun and I like Marmite. Being weird to people has made life interesting for me. I am able to talk about anything with almost anyone and that's why I like being the strange kid. When I tell people some of my interests, a platform for an interesting conversation has be opened and that's how I learn about people I meet and I'm able to tolerate and understand different types of people.
16. The law of attraction: What you say with your mouth and believe with your heart is what you'll get. The effort you put in is what you'll get in the results. Any bad thing you wish upon another soul is what will come back to you (that's what we call karma).
17. Admit when you're wrong: I was recently told that Terk, the gorilla from Tarzan, is actually a girl whose full name is Terkina. I couldn't believe it and I wasn't about to just believe that! I did my research and found that it was true and I almost shed a tear cause my childhood had been a lie but I was able to go to my friend and say "dude, you were right". If you're the proud type, crying in a corner upon being schooled and never bringing the topic up again is always an option.
18. 'Don't grow up, it's a trap!': Remember in preschool when life was carefree and making friends was so easy cause no one had a judgemental bone in their body? Creativity also cane easily because we were encouraged to imagine! If you carry all of this into your adult life, you'll be one happy adult. I can tell you now, I could never actually put all my friends in one room because they wouldn't click. I'm the mutual one and then there's the fashion lover, the artist and the hip hop lover. There are hardly any common grounds there :/
19. God really is good: He'll never leave you and if you wait upon Him with faith, He'll reward you with way more than you'd ever asked for
Faux leather overall- A boutique (Randburg)
Blazer- My mom's closet
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