9 Regrets You Don't Want To Have Once You Hit Your 23rd Birthday
Regrets are a reminder that we can't go back and change anything that has already passed. Time will always keep ticking, no matter how much we cherish moments or spontaneously let them unravel. On your 23rd birthday, you don't want to be sitting around trying to retrace your steps and pinpointing where you went wrong in certain situations.
That sounds like pure torture. In all honesty, we aren't going to get it right all of the time. It's up to us, though, to keep a handle on situations we actually have somewhat of a say in so we aren't regretting them later. Needless to say, if you still haven't blown out those 23 candles, consider practicing some must-do's to repel unwanted regrets.
Here are the regrets you don't want to be stuck with in your early 20s.
1. Never Saying What You Really Mean
We aren't necessarily taught to have an opinion. We're brought into the world obeying two important people and taking on their outlooks and beliefs. It can be a hard habit to break, but eventually, you need to stand strongly behind the feelings you have and never be ashamed to voice them intently and honestly.
2. Staying In Or Starting School If It's Not For You
College is not for everyone. And this isn't to discourage anyone, but oftentimes people decide to enter it because it seems like the socially acceptable thing to do. Make sure you're doing what you want with your life. It is entirely yours after all.
3. Not Checking Something Off Your Bucket List
Even if it's something small and random, check it off. You don't want to get to your 23rd birthday and think that you passed up a chance to knock one of those bucket list items off. So, get to it ASAP.
4. Putting Up With An Unhappy Relationship
Yeah, you're still young, but heartbreak and unhealthy relationships do not discriminate based on age. If you're unhappy, time doesn't always heal everything. Be sure that you're not only giving yourself space to grow but time to understand what it is that you need in a relationship.
5. Letting Friendships Go Over Pettiness
A lot happens from the time we're legally adults and until our 23rd birthday. Legally we became an adult, but that doesn't mean we suddenly gained stability in all of our friendships. If you lost a good friend over something elementary and childish, it's time to address it and get them back. Save the drama for the stage.
6. Not Staying Persistent With Your Passions
It's easy to lose sight of the hobbies or passions we did for fun or to ease our minds. Everything has a price tag these days that you may have stopped valuing it because it didn't bring in any income. Well, our passions are what make us who we are, and we need them to remind us that we are humans, not overworked robots.
7. Not Taking The Time To Be Comfortable Single
OK, no one wants to be alone, but if you aren't comfortable with yourself, it's difficult to ever fully give yourself to anyone. Wining and dining yourself and putting a value on what you deserve will make it easier to delegate who's worth and not worth your time. Self-love leads to endless other amazing connections.
8. Being Afraid To Change Up Your Style
Don't get trapped in the same routine. Cut your hair or change your wardrobe once or twice if you feel like it. Test the waters and have fun with it before you set sail toward your 23rd birthday.
9. Never Sticking Up For Yourself
Keeping an open mind is great, but it never means alienating your right to be respected. Always stand up for yourself if someone is seemingly out of line or attacking your character. No one has a right to dampen your human experience, so don't let them.
Whether you're years away or days away from your 23rd birthday, don't let regrets be the floating masses in the room. That's what balloons and streamers are for.
