I always want to know more. I want to learn more. I want to do better. I want to be better. I’m not progressing fast enough.
But sometimes you have to stop, and look back and realize you’ve come along way. Today, June 8th, I turn 27.
And I’ve come a long way.
Thanks to the inspiration from Karol, Baker, Glen, and Mary (among many others), I’m taking this opportunity to follow suit and celebrate my 27th birthday by reflecting on what I know is true.
(Note: Many of these lessons have been acquired from other sources along my journey, and are not original thoughts.)
1. The first pancake always turns out badly.
2. You don’t have to get along with everyone, or make everyone like you.
3. Love makes you stupid.
4. You always have at least 2 choices, even if you don’t like your choices.
5. Sometimes even women need to learn to MTFU.
6. Most people operate out of selfish motivations.
7. It’s rarely about you.
8. Soda is evil.
9. It’s okay to break the rules, as long as you are good enough not to get caught, and you aren’t hurting anyone.
10. “Be kinder than necessary ’cause everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”
11. There’s three sides to every story- his, hers, and the truth.
12. Time doesn’t heal anything- it’s what you do with that time.
13. Complaining and blaming other people doesn’t help anything, and makes you miserable company.
14. Everything in your life is your responsibility.
15. You train people how to treat you.
16. There’s always hope.
17. You can always be grateful for something.
18. If you aren’t making mistakes, you aren’t trying hard enough.
19. You never really become an adult. You just get more responsibility, and become wiser.
20. Showing emotion is not a sign of weakness. Knowing when it is appropriate is a skill.
21. Google can answer anything.
22. Being silly is one of my favorite qualities in a person.
23. Honesty is always the easiest route. Even if it’s not in the short term.
24. You should never stop learning, or trying to be a better person.
25. Worrying is useless, unless it motivates you to take action.
26. When people show you who they are, believe them.
27. There is only fear, and love. And one of them is way more fun.
Thank you to every person I love, have taught me something, or encouraged me along the way. I have been blogging for almost exactly one year now, and it’s been the best year of my life. Thanks for joining me.
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This is great Karen! I love these posts. Thanks for the shout out.
I love #16.
#22 is also true for me.
Talk soon!
Karol
Thanks for the inspiration, Karol! Your birthday post was one of the most awesome I’ve seen
I loved it
But #2 and #18 are the same. Not sure if that was intentional 
That was a mistake from an earlier draft… thanks for letting me know
All fixed!
Such a great post. As I just tweeted to you, I’ll be 27 in August so this was such a perfect post for me to read. It’s so great to look back and reflect on what you’ve learned so far, isn’t it? I’m not sure if I’ve told you this before or not, but your blog is one of my absolute favorites. You handle the topic of alcoholism so well and so honestly and I really, truly admire that. Happy, happy birthday!
Thanks, Dani! That means a lot from a blogging pro, as yourself
I loved your lessons.. and they are all so very true!
I think you should include your comment about looking back and seeing how far you have come as one of your lessons, actually.. It’s a wise one and we all should all do that from time to time
Happy Birthday, beautiful lady. I am so glad to know you.
This post *rawks*! I especially love #1 about the pancakes — oh so true. And then I also love, love, LOVE #15 — you train people how to treat you. I’ve never thought about it that way, but holy ****. Yes!
Love you. xo
I think I got that from Dr. Phil (as cheezy as that sounds!!), but its an amazing bit of wisdom.
Thanks for the wonderful birthday wishes. It’s a pleasure to know you as well
I feel like #1 might have come from Gilmore Girls, if that’s possible? I know it is used in Gilmore Girls I think when talking about Rory setting up Lane’s baby shower or something. But it is so true no matter where it came from!
I’m still only 22 but I enjoyed this list! I also know that this is like 4 months late, but happy birthday! Yay stumbleupon!
Happy birthday Karen!
Thanks Glen!!
I hope you remember this. One of the things on my list is that it’s easy to forget all the things we’ve learned in a moment of weakness/anger/frustration/fear. It’s good to have a list to remind you
Happy Birthday!
Karen,
I love you had the best year of your life!
Thanks for sharing the lessons … and congratulations!!!
Have fun,
Jim
Just wanted to say: Happy Birthday to you.
I’m a bit late on this, but Happy Birthday! Thanks for the shout and sharing all your lessons. You are quite a wise lady. (And soda totally is evil.)
Thanks Karen, nice post Number 21 is true…
I can answer why #1 is true as well.
It’s because you’re so hungry and anxious to get started that you don’t let the pan get hot enough!
Or at least that’s true for me. LOL
Happy birthday girlie! I’ll be leaving 27 behind in December…and will have to do a life lessons learned for it.
I stumbleupon’d this and had to read it as I will be turning 27 the day after tomorrow. Great post it! A lot of truth in these
very useful lessons Karen, couldn’t agree more especially with number 16
Happy belated! Year 27 was a good one for me but 28 was freakin’ life changing! Hope the same is true for you
Good lesson and keep learning.
I really enjoyed this post… thanks so much for sharing.
Also, my first pancake always sucks too! If you are interested check out my blog:
http://20-somethingnothing.blogspot.com/
Still a work in progress
Love the list. I find all to be true, as i’m turning 27 in July.
I enjoy number 6 the most
Love this…it popped up while I was stumbling. One question…is anyone else craving pancakes??
My first pancake is always successful :p
No, really. It is…
Cool list though, thanks
Excellent words! I’m 28 and gotta say i share all those lessons of this life we’re cruising together even in different locations.
Ta!
P.
I just turned 29… I knew all of that stuff. I could tell you the lessons you will learn in the next two years… but its way to amazing… just gotta let you live it.
i would love to see you reflect on these in ten years! good post!
great advice for all times and dimensions
I agree.
I love this!
Great! Too bad you aren’t 65 !!
One Lesson I Learnt By the Age of One
What the f$%k am I doing here?
I particularly liked #s 5 and 22. What a great post. I hope when I turn 27 I will have remembered some of these! Cheers!
Ursula
happy birthday, belatedly…keep learning!
Excellent post, truly. I disagree with soda being evil – I love an ice cold Diet Pepsi, but everything else is so spot-on. Some of the lessons here are a little unusual for people to think about. For example, you train people how to treat you – that’s exactly right, but 90% of the people on the planet don’t ever even hear that lesson. Great call.
There are just too many to list of my favorites above, so I’ll take all of them except soda!
Great list, my friend.
@alexanderblake
I truly believe in #18. Nice list…
Just Stumbled on this post… I was hooked on this list at #1. Every single time I make pancakes the first one is the requisite dud that nobody eats.
I especially love #26. When you meet them, people will TELL you who they are. Over time they will SHOW you. This is the version of them you must believe and never ever ignore or deny.
Yup, pretty much all true! (A lot of them you need to remind yourself from time to time.) Last one reminded me of Donnie Darko though….lol.
I’m turning 27 in September.
Isn’t Stumbling Wonderful!!! These were all true. #26 ooh! Sometimes the hardest thing to do, and even when they show you who they are; things change and you could be disappointed in them later. When that happens read this list again loved it. Thanks
I love this! Especially the part about how when someone shows you who they are, believe them. It’s a lesson that’s always hard to learn… since we tend to learn it over and over. Good luck being 27, it sounds like you’re embarking into (another) wonderful year!
This is awesome! Lol the first pancake DOES always turn out badly. Thanks for sharing!
I live with # 14 every day.
love this thanks
Nice articles you wrote dude ^.^
I agree with most of your points
As I go through the gems of what you have learned I have also learned something too. You have me thinking about a lot of things here, and a call for reconsideration of what I have always believed.
My birthday is on June 8th as well. These all brought up a different memory in my noggin. c:
#6 is so true.
Great article, Karen!