29 Things I'm Telling Myself at 29
Although this is predominantly a beauty blog (which, if you’re reading this, is most likely why you are here to begin with), I have occasionally shared more “real talk”-type content, and this is something I want and probably need to do more of in 2020. And so here we are with 29 Things I’m Telling Myself at 29! My birthday was just over a month ago now, and although twenty-nine has admittedly been a bit of a mixed bag so far, I am determined not to lose too much of the positive attitude I put so much effort into developing over the course of last year, which is essentially why I’ve chosen to write this list. Some of the items included here are more serious, while some are more silly. Some of them are more personal, whereas others are maybe more universal. In any event, I hope you enjoy reading them.
Writing things down will always make you feel better.
You don’t have to be good at everything. It’s OK to play to your strengths.
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as too much coffee.
Don’t forget your eye cream and SPF. You’re not getting any younger, after all.
Love isn’t what you thought it would be when you were younger, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth having in your life.
Experiences are far more important than things.
Music, movies and books will always be there when you need them.
Not drinking alcohol doesn’t mean you’re boring.
If someone tries to sell you a pink-toned foundation, run away at high speed.
Always be conscious of the difference between being alone and being lonely — while you are comfortable with the former, the latter is not good for you.
You will never stop missing your mother, so don’t expect to.
Gerard Way will always be a source of inspiration and wisdom to you, no matter how old you get.
Oat milk flat whites are a f***ing revelation.
Letting your eyebrows grow back was a really great shout, well done.
It is worth putting in the work to keep good people in your life…however it is also OK to remove those who do not deserve to be there.
Gallows humour will get you through the worst of what life will throw at you.
Your sense of self-worth does not come from the number on the scales, nor the one stitched into your jeans.
White jeans should be left to Liz Hurley and Liz Hurley only.
Ignore any sales assistants who tell you that “such-and-such a mascara is so good, you won’t need an eyelash curler anymore!” It is bollocks and, also, it defies physics.
When something or someone gets into your heart, for better or worse, they tend to stay there for good. It’s just the way you’re wired.
Solo travel will continue to open your eyes to the world in ways you never thought possible.
A walk along the beach is every bit as effective now as it was when you were a teenager. Try not to take your proximity to it for granted.
It’s OK to like babies and children but not necessarily want to have any yourself.
No good has ever or will ever come of stalking your exes’ social media accounts, so don’t do it.
Although you don’t exactly have any metrics for it, you know that a broken heart hurts infinitely more than a broken nose.
You might have thought you had a “type” when you were younger but…you actually don’t. You can’t be that prescriptive about feelings.
When it comes to social media — and especially Instagram — remember that it’s all surface, a construct.
Don’t feel bad about not having it all figured out yet. People ten, twenty, thirty years older than you don’t have it figured out yet, either. It's OK to be a work in progress.
You survived before. You’ll survive again.
This piece was originally published on Part Time Beauty in 2020.