Time is a thief and joy is the innocent bystander we too often forget to engage. Embrace joy daily; tightly. Time may not slow but won’t so easily slip away.
Don’t let short term worries dictate long term happiness: 99% of those worries never actually happen.
Pluto is no longer a “real” planet. Whatever.
Spend less time overthinking and testing the waters; just jump in. I promise you’ll float.
Don’t let important things go unspoken. Love someone? Tell them daily- tomorrow is never promised.
Wear the bathing suit- the two piece one. Or whatever the heck one you want.
Don’t allow other people to dictate your happiness.
Travel as much as you can. The world is a beautiful and complex place, and every person you meet has something to offer.
Mothers really do know best 99.9999999% of the time.
Spend more time listening and take more time to process before reacting. Or speaking. Or just don’t speak.
The only person on this planet you can change is yourself. Just love people; don’t try to fix them (you provide yourself with plenty of material for improvement for one lifetime).
Realize as soon as you can that happiness is not a destination in this life; it’s every fleeting moment of the journey you’re on right now.
Donald Trump becomes President (clarification; of the United States of America).
Forgive. Forgive, forgive, forgive. Others- for the million little things, the big things, the things they never knew hurt you- forgive them anyway. And forgive and free yourself— from past mistakes, failures, whatever happened five minutes ago. There’s a disease called insecurity trying to keep tabs on a list God already discarded.
Learn to say no; that it’s okay to leave early, arrive late if needed, and free yourself from guilt.
The next time you find yourself worrying about what other people will think-
Just stop. Prayer helps, too.
Always order the cheese board, and that second scoop of ice cream (tragic spoiler- dairy does not remain a good friend).
Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh. Laugh a lot, laugh with others, laugh often.
Let gratitude overwhelm any negativity in your day. 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Don’t flip out, but hair scrunchies are cool again. But for real this time.
Be intentional about maintaining those relationships that are important to you.
Learn how to take in both advice and criticism- and how to exhale both in a single breath.
Marriage is not 50:50, it's 100:100. Function at 100% going in and regardless of what the the other's battery is at.
Remember that your identity is not found in the words and arbitrary opinions of other humans; rather, only in God.
A full night of sleep is... priceless. PRICELESS. Do not take this sacred commodity for granted. Nap if you have the opportunity. Go to bed early. Sleep in if you can.
Start buying your nicer shoes a half size up; your feet grow post baby.
Slow down. Self-imposed, artificial deadlines buy you nothing but stress.
Eat the cinnamon roll.
As long as you never stop learning,
You’ll never be done getting old.
(I must still be pretty young.)
XO, Ruth
What-- if any of this-- rings true for you? What advice would you give your younger self if you had the opportunity?