Nic Narrates

Taking significant time away last week from work, blogging, Twitter, and all things Blackberry resulted in a lot of self-reflection. I don’t really know what becoming “30″ means or how that’s supposed to change me…poof! You’re a grown up?  But what I do know, trite as it may be, is that I’ve learned a lot along the way.

1. Friendship is a two-way event planner/ phone call/ email/ letter-writing campaign. It’s okay to feel bad when you realize you’re doing all the work. It’s also okay to decide you don’t want to anymore.
2. Getting yourself into credit card debt is one thing, getting yourself out is another.
3. It’s perfectly okay to come home and pop open a bottle of wine, then pair it with cereal. Pinot Gris and Special K are tasty.
4. Being friends with ex-boyfriends is a skill to be mastered, but not necessarily conducive to future relationships.
5. The opposite of love isn’t hate…it’s indifference.
6. Being afraid to eat alone, travel alone, and go to the movies alone will make you feel alone. Overcoming that fear, and finding joy in doing them still, shows you the difference between being alone and being lonely.
7. No matter who we are or what we think we want or need, fundamentally some part of each of us wants only to be loved and accepted.
8. Expensive make-up is nice, mostly for the packaging, but ultimately unneeded. Splurging on quality moisturizers and eye creams is money well spent. Beginning to use them in your early twenties, despite what the sales ladies or anyone else says, isn’t unnecessary…it’s precautionary.
9. A person tells you how to love them- not by what they say, but by how they show love to you.
10. Exercise regimes come and go, but a pair of “give up” sweatpants last forever.
11. Everyone makes mistakes, however, not everyone can be greater than those mistakes.
12. Getting a promotion doesn’t necessarily mean you’re also getting a raise.
13. Puking in the dark doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Leaving the bathroom lights off might seem like a good idea at the time, but what you didn’t see the night before will be twice as worse in the light of day. Man up.
14. Love isn’t a noun…it’s a verb.
15. Having babies is okay great! But kids don’t go away and you can’t give them back.
16. Sometimes it’s more important to love and be loved than to be right.
17. Work is necessary. Doing what you love every day is a myth. Who are these people? Maybe 0.8% of the general population? Those without thousands of dollars in student loans? The truth is: you get a job- it’s good to have a job and a routine- and you do the best you can. Then, you take the money you make and you LIVE.
18. People will disappoint you. That they have is a sign that you (still) care.
19. Depression isn’t something to be ashamed of, it isn’t all in your head, it isn’t less serious than “all the rest of the world’s problems,” and it won’t get better on its own.
20. Just because you’re related doesn’t mean you get a “free pass” for your behavior.
21. It is a universal truth: when you’re not looking, you’ll find someone- or they’ll find you! Every time. Every single time. So…be open to meeting someone, but stop looking.
22. Understanding is not the same as agreeing.
23. When you’re coming into work late, don’t be angry or annoyed or stressed when you run into your co-workers in the lobby or the hallway. Smile and try to be nice- it’s not their fault you’re late. Also, pick up treats before you get there. Nothing covers tardiness like pastry.
24. Saying you apologize is not the same thing as saying you’re sorry.
25. Bigger is not always better. It’s true whether it’s the helping on your plate, the car you’re trying to parallel park, the party/ wedding you’re planning, or….yes, even that.
26. If you’re really good at something but you hate it, make sure you keep that a hidden talent. Unless of course you want to be the “go to” person in charge of doing it ALL the time.
27. The hardest part about loving someone is choosing to let them go.
28. Speak to the “gatekeepers” as you would to those you’re trying to reach. They’re absolutely instrumental to your success.
29. Every relationship has something. But only those in the relationship can possibly know all that passes behind closed doors.
30. Being exactly who you are can be both the easiest and the most difficult thing in the world.

Filed under: a thing of beauty, awesomeness, creative time management, crossroads, educating the masses, fanciness, in memory, just say 'when', knowing, no birthday tears please, work in progress by Nic