25 Things I learned by 25
(That may or may not also apply to you.)
- You can survive with just 5 things in your makeup kit: powder, pang kilay, eyelash curler, lip and cheek tint, lip balm
- Buying classic / statement pieces of clothing and shoes and looking for stylish ways to reuse, recycle and revamp them - will save you so much money and keep you from wasting it on pieces you can only use once or twice.
- Bring Your Own Jug of water everywhere! Good for the environment and good for you.
- It’s okay to accept compliments (politely), and give one whenever genuinely possible.
- Alcohol is not a necessity for socialising. Not going with friends to clubs, pubs, or nights out won’t make you miss out on a lot.
- Tequila as your “main booze” and rhum cola as your “chaser” was NEVER a good idea.
- Quitting smoking is one of the best decisions a smoker can ever make in her lifetime.
- Traveling, studying, living, and spending holidays abroad can be some of the most life changing experiences one can ever gain.
- But one must always prioritise exploring her own country. 🇵🇭
- Make sure you have clean tissue before you do your business in public toilets. No matter how dry or clean you think the seat is, don’t sit unless you’ve sanitised it. I personally just squat and aim. Lift your butt - it helps.
- When you’re about to meet someone new, like a cute guy a friend is trying to set up with you, or a chick your girl friend wants to bring to your dinner, don’t look up their socials before meeting them. It’s always nice to get to know someone without your personal (or Instagram) prejudices.
- Reading two books in a month may not be the most ideal number for a bookworm, but it’s better than zero.
- Notes, cards, and sweet nothings need not only be directed to someone you’re in a romantic relationship with. It can be for your mom who cooked you dinner, your friend who always remembers to check up on you, or a random wait who went above and beyond to get you that warm glass of water. A kind word goes a loooong way.
- If you have nothing good to say, learn to be silent. In most situations, charity trumps liberty.
- It’s great to take care of your body. To eat right, exercise regularly, dress up, fix your hair, make sure you look cute. Even better, is to take care of your heart, feed your mind, and nurture your soul.
- Too much small talk is a waste of precious time.
- There are no “ordinary” humans. Each person we interact with is an immortal soul and we ought to value them as such. Their dreams, their heartaches, their journeys and their pains. Their joy, their ideas, their life — they are all of value. We have no superiority above anybody. We are made in the image of God; and because of that, each one of us has intrinsic value no matter our race, gender, background, flaws, or incapabilities.
- Drinking more than 8 glasses of water can make you look bloated but it also does wonders for the natural glow of your skin. So, learn to choose your battles.
- The kind of music you regularly listen to can change the way you live your life and interact with people.
- Having a set of guy friends whom you love and can trust completely is great; but building and maintaining deep relationships with close girl friends is one of the biggest blessings a woman can have. It’s important for us to have ‘sisters’ we can relate to, grow with, be mentored by, and care for.
- When you lose your temper, snap, or do anything out of impulse that you end up regretting, the next best step is to admit you were wrong, apologise and make it better.
- When you want something, ask. When you dont know the answer, say so. Honesty, even when it makes us feel uneasy, dumb, needy, or dependent, is always better than faking your way for the sake of pride or ego.
- Truth is of utmost value. We must seek to uphold it every time. But truth must ALWAYS be undergirded by love, or else it will fall on deaf, sometimes even, hostile ears.
- Love fearlessly, like you’ve never been hurt before. Love like you mean it. Love those who can never reciprocate you. Serve those who are in need. Care for those who have no capability to later on care for you. Surrender your wills and your wants and your pleasures and your happiness in loving and serving others, and you might just find contentment and joy.
- Everything in this world is fleeting. All our treasures and our cultures and our nations - they are all mortal. Our heart craves for what lasts forever, yet we seek to find them in finite things and beings: we store our treasures and our hopes, our joy and our love on things that eventually fade away, and at some point we will realize these are all purposeless and in vain. We yearn for eternal life. We want unwavering joy. We are fascinated by finding love that lasts forever. Jesus Christ - in His life, death, and resurrection - offers all this and more. The God of the Bible offers answers to questions of origin, meaning, morality and destiny... and I believe His word is truth. This belief has changed everything about me and how I live my life, and it has given me hope that’s no longer rooted in my circumstances but in the unchanging God that gives it. I’ve learned that we look at everything from the perspective of our worldview; so the biggest decision we can ever make, whether consciously or unconsciously, is choosing the lens by which we see the world.
My name is Joyce Pring, born May 4, 1993. Celebrating my silver year this 2018; grateful for the lessons, adventures, epiphanies and heartaches that have helped mold me into the woman I am today. Bracing myself for the season where others have experienced quarter life crises, hoping to share what little wisdom I’ve gained in the past years, aiming to learn, as always, all that I can to grow into a person of compassion, courage, and grit.
Also trying to figure out how adults have been doing all this without completely losing their sanity.
Mej mahirap, guys.
JP