Today, Monday, March 19th, 2018, marks a pivotal moment in my life. I, Emily McDonough, am no longer a teenager! What does that mean exactly? Unfortunately, it does not mean that my days of being mistaken for a 12-year-old are over. Fortunately, though, the dawn of my roaring 20s means that my knowledge and experiences are ripe enough to finally share with you. Yes, you! So, without further ado, the following 20 nuggets are the integral lessons I have learned during my first 20 years on this planet. You are going to want to pull out a notepad and pen for these.
Being different is COOL.
If you ever start feeling less confident or beautiful because you do not have a significant other to tell you so, knock some sense into yourself.
Embrace hard work, especially you, little Gen Z'er. A dose of fatigue, stress or blood will not kill you.
Send tangible, personalized notes every chance you get.
Please put away your phone when you are with people.
Become an empathetic listener, not a pseudo listener.
Develop and memorize your personal brand. Then make sure everyone knows it.
Take pride in your accomplishments.
Invest your money (I still do not understand investing, but I do understand that it is extremely valuable)!
Find your release. Mine is lacing up my tennis shoes and sweating profusely.
I wish I was only turning 10 because I am running out of lessons. Am I even qualified to do this?
Own your style. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
When you are feeling overwhelmed, look up. From above, we look like ants, which makes our problems that we deal with seem insignificant.
Find a mentor and be a mentor. I am still looking for my mentor and mentee. Feel free to send me your resume through the Contact page.
Stop drinking Four Lokos, kids. If you have graduated from college and are still drinking them, c'mon. You are better than that.
Drink more coffee, tea, smoothies, wine, etc. -- whatever makes you feel the best.
Take care of your skin.
Travel by yourself -- to the mall, dinner or a different country.
Think "Could I be doing more?" 24/7.
Celebrate both your small and large victories.
Tell everyone you know to subscribe to my blog.
Cheers to growing older and wiser.
