25 Things I've Realised Now I'm 25
Turning 25 was a bigger deal for me than turning 21, mainly because I'm now officially in my mid-twenties, which I find to be quite something. I was, like many kids, always of the mind that I would never get older, I'd always be 15 and have no responsibilities or anything major to worry about. But ten years have passed and now I have a life of my own, career in place and some exciting new developments coming up - who'd have thought it eh? Clearly not 15-year-old Lorna, that's for sure!
Anyway, as a result of my new-found adulthood, I have compiled a list of twenty-five things I have realised now I've hit the big 2-5, enjoy!
Anyway, as a result of my new-found adulthood, I have compiled a list of twenty-five things I have realised now I've hit the big 2-5, enjoy!
1. I'm now officially a 'lady' - no, I do not have a chauffeur called Parker, but others will now refer to me as a 'lady' and I'm ok with that! Being 25 now, I don't really want to be considered a child anymore, haha!
2. FOMO is worse than actually MO - I often find that the prospect of missing out on various things is worse than actually missing out on it. Yes, this makes no sense, but I do feel crappy knowing that I'm missing out on something great, but once it's happened, I'm over it and I'm happy that others got to enjoy the experience. It also helps to take the pressure out of saying 'yes' to absolutely everything and having a bit of time to myself instead.
3. Saying 'no' applies to more than just the obvious - I learnt to say 'no' to obvious stuff at a very early age and so that was never really an issue for me. But saying 'no' to other things, like going to the bar for a few drinks with friends or going for a jog with my brother was a little more difficult for me to do. Now I'm older, I realise that I need to look after myself more and that includes both physically and mentally. If I don't feel like going out drinking on a Saturday night, then I won't do it, or if I'm not feeling too well, then I can happily say 'no' to a jog with my bro - and NO ONE is offended by the decisions I make either, which I think was a fear of my in the past.
4. But it's just as important to say 'yes' to things - you don't always want to be a stick in the mud when it comes to socialising. Don't get me wrong, I love it and I'll say 'yes' the majority of the time because I actually want to be involved. You still have to maintain friendships and get to know others whilst finding a nice balance between saying yes and saying no!
5. Book clubs aren't for the over 40's - I try my best to keep up with book clubs, especially during this lockdown, and I absolutely love it! From dramas and crime to non-fiction and romance, there's always something that will come up in a book club that you'll enjoy, and so everyone can get involved, no matter what age you are!
6. De-cluttering and 'letting go' is only a good thing - recently, I have been getting rid of a lot of bits and pieces in a bid to cleanse my personal space. Letting go of things that at one time meant something to you that you've been holding onto for years can be quite a liberating experience. Once I've banished it from my life, I realise that it almost acted as a chain around my neck as opposed to something which brought me joy, and so, it's ok to finally 'let go'.
7. I don't have to be friends with absolutely everyone - there was once a time where I'd have made friends and swapped numbers with a girl in a night club loo, but those days are well and truly over for me. Being kind, polite and considerate to others is imperative - I've always been taught that manners get you far in the world, and that being nice to others is a powerful weapon. So basically, you can be lovely to others without actually being their friend and that's just as wonderful as being actual friends with someone.
8. I can stop judging myself for the choices I've made - I know how this one sounds and it's not at all like that in any sense. But like many people, there are choices I have made in the past which, when looked back on, can cause me to either cringe, cry or even wince, but those days of beating myself up for stupid decisions I've made are well and truly over. Things happen and they happen for a reason, and what's more, they're well and truly in the past now (these things include nothing illegal or dodgy in any sense of the word, haha).
9. Health concerns should always be addressed - don't get me wrong, I'm very fit and healthy, my blood pressure is spot on and I exercise on a regular basis, so I don't have a long list of health complications. Actually, I don't have any health complications, but if something feels weird or if I know something isn't right, I will go and get it checked out by my GP. Health is a very personal and private thing, so I will always make the appropriate choices when it comes to my own body.
10. A meaningful relationship with someone is always best - my boyfriend and I have been together for nearly 3.5 years and in that time I've realised that nothing else could possibly compare to my relationship with him. Looking back, nothing else comes close and I wouldn't want it to either! Life's too short to make mistakes with the wrong people, more so at my age if you know what I'm saying? I've found my person and I wouldn't change it for anything.
10. A meaningful relationship with someone is always best - my boyfriend and I have been together for nearly 3.5 years and in that time I've realised that nothing else could possibly compare to my relationship with him. Looking back, nothing else comes close and I wouldn't want it to either! Life's too short to make mistakes with the wrong people, more so at my age if you know what I'm saying? I've found my person and I wouldn't change it for anything.
11. Life is too short for a crummy work environment - my previous job, working in retail, was absolutely terrible. My final year there was just hell, I felt I wasn't respected by a few of my colleagues and there were a few situations which were taken advantage of that I wasn't at all happy about. Eventually, it all came to head and I spoke up for myself, got my union involved and showed them exactly what I was made of in terms of my workers' rights. After that, it all changed! After all that time, I found the courage to stand on my own two feet, find a voice and simply say 'no, you aren't going to bully me anymore', and it worked! Now, I'm no longer employed by them as I left to work for a wonderful company with fantastic people and I'm so glad that I'm finally happy doing something I love!
12. Retail therapy is excusable every now and again - sometimes, retail therapy is the only way of relieving stress or picking yourself up when you're feeling a little down. From a new handbag to an article of clothing, shopping always makes me feel a bit better about life in general. Sadly, my bank account can't handle a new Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palette or Radley handbag every month, but something tasteful, fun and (somewhat) affordable never fails to put a smile back on my face :)
13. My parents are actually awesome - as a kid, your parents are somewhat annoying - you have to earn your own pocket money, you had to wait until after 5pm to call your friends, you can't go online because your mum is expecting a phone call (that was dial-up internet for you) etc, etc. But as an adult, I see them in a whole new light and when I do, it reminds me of how lucky I am to have parents like them. Despite all the rules and having to do chores to earn something nice (a fact of life, really), I had a very happy childhood and I only have my parents to thank for that!
14. Clothes can set your mood for the day - I worry less about this now I'm older, but it's true when I say that a certain outfit can set your entire mood for the day ahead. We don't have a strict or formal dress code at work, you just have to be presentable (which I think is more than reasonable). But even so, the outfit I choose that day can either make me feel somewhat more relaxed and casual or professional and, if I dare say, sexy. As a more curvy gal, a tight skirt, a pair of tights and some heeled boots never fails to make me feel more feminine as it can really accentuate my curves - which isn't at all a bad thing!
15. A cracking personality can make all the difference - I'm much more likely to click with someone if they have a great personality. Looks, what they have (or don't have), who they hang around with, what they believe in etc becomes somewhat redundant - if they're a nice person who respects others, then I can totally get on board with that as I think that's pretty important.
16. It's ok to be selfish, but to a point - obviously, a balance must be found here as there's a fine line between looking after yourself and your needs and just being a general d***head. It's ok for you to say 'no' to things for example if you aren't feeling it, but it's not ok to make other people feel like crap to get what you want. Like I say, balance is key with this one and you'll find your personal boundaries in time!
17. It's ok to third-wheel - I'm not single, but I'm perfectly happy to third-wheel a friend and their partner, but I'm also totally fine with a friend third-wheeling us! It's a two-way street, I won't turn friends away just because I'm in a relationship. Often, it's healthy to find a balance between a private relationship between myself and my boyfriend and a more public one involving other people, like spending time with each others friends, for example - whether they're single or not!
18. Watching friends get married is amazing - one of my friends got married last year, I've known him for about 13 years and I was so happy to see he was happy. But I was also honoured that he asked me to be a part of the big day!
19. Wanting a relationship with someone is normal - as I've already said, I'm not single anymore! But when I was, I ended up getting a bit fed up of the single life and started wanting more, where I didn't start actively looking for anyone, I eventually found my now boyfriend, Tom, and that was 3.5 years ago! I'm happier now more than ever and that's all thanks to him. Basically, it's perfectly normal to want something more and that 'something' will come around when you least expect it :)
20. Keeping opinions back accomplishes very little - sometimes, offering an opinion (whether it was asked for or not) can make the world of difference. Whether you're looking for a solution to something or simply wish to voice a concern then injecting your opinion can be just what's needed. I always try to make it as constructive as possible as a destructive opinion can often have the same effect as not having one at all!
21. Doing something crazy isn't actually that crazy at all - this all comes back to doing something for the story. One time, my boyfriend and I went to a pub in Cambridge while on a mini-break, had a few too many bevvies and couldn't remember getting back to the hotel, but we'd never really done anything like that before and we haven't done anything like that since, but whenever we tell someone about it they always laugh! There's obviously more to the story than that, but that's only for our friends to know ;)
22. You can finally afford some luxuries - having a full time job doing something I love and finally establishing a career comes with many perks. I've always been taught the importance of earning what you want. If I wanted to go to the cinema with friends, I needed to do some chores to earn it. Same goes for right now, if I want new perfume or wish to buy myself a new pair of shoes, I go to work, earn the money and then use that to buy the luxury items. If I want something I don't necessarily need, I can just buy it knowing I've earned it!
23. Changing your mind is totally fine - there seems to be a sort of stigma when it comes to mind-changing, but you really needn't worry about that. Whether I've changed my mind about buying a certain item, or decide that actually, I'd rather stay in on Saturday night, it's all ok whatever your decision.
24. Life after 25 is simply a new and exciting chapter - 25 is not old by any stretch of the imagination so I'm not scared of what the future has to offer in terms of that. What happens, happens, what will be, will be and there's only so much you can do to control future events. You can prepare for all sorts, but for me, it's all about looking forward to what life after 25 has to offer, rather than be frightened of what could be or what won't be.
25. There's still so much left to learn - as I've already said, 25 is very young and there's still a hell of a lot I don't know, but I'm looking forward to working it all out.
12. Retail therapy is excusable every now and again - sometimes, retail therapy is the only way of relieving stress or picking yourself up when you're feeling a little down. From a new handbag to an article of clothing, shopping always makes me feel a bit better about life in general. Sadly, my bank account can't handle a new Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palette or Radley handbag every month, but something tasteful, fun and (somewhat) affordable never fails to put a smile back on my face :)
13. My parents are actually awesome - as a kid, your parents are somewhat annoying - you have to earn your own pocket money, you had to wait until after 5pm to call your friends, you can't go online because your mum is expecting a phone call (that was dial-up internet for you) etc, etc. But as an adult, I see them in a whole new light and when I do, it reminds me of how lucky I am to have parents like them. Despite all the rules and having to do chores to earn something nice (a fact of life, really), I had a very happy childhood and I only have my parents to thank for that!
14. Clothes can set your mood for the day - I worry less about this now I'm older, but it's true when I say that a certain outfit can set your entire mood for the day ahead. We don't have a strict or formal dress code at work, you just have to be presentable (which I think is more than reasonable). But even so, the outfit I choose that day can either make me feel somewhat more relaxed and casual or professional and, if I dare say, sexy. As a more curvy gal, a tight skirt, a pair of tights and some heeled boots never fails to make me feel more feminine as it can really accentuate my curves - which isn't at all a bad thing!
15. A cracking personality can make all the difference - I'm much more likely to click with someone if they have a great personality. Looks, what they have (or don't have), who they hang around with, what they believe in etc becomes somewhat redundant - if they're a nice person who respects others, then I can totally get on board with that as I think that's pretty important.
16. It's ok to be selfish, but to a point - obviously, a balance must be found here as there's a fine line between looking after yourself and your needs and just being a general d***head. It's ok for you to say 'no' to things for example if you aren't feeling it, but it's not ok to make other people feel like crap to get what you want. Like I say, balance is key with this one and you'll find your personal boundaries in time!
17. It's ok to third-wheel - I'm not single, but I'm perfectly happy to third-wheel a friend and their partner, but I'm also totally fine with a friend third-wheeling us! It's a two-way street, I won't turn friends away just because I'm in a relationship. Often, it's healthy to find a balance between a private relationship between myself and my boyfriend and a more public one involving other people, like spending time with each others friends, for example - whether they're single or not!
18. Watching friends get married is amazing - one of my friends got married last year, I've known him for about 13 years and I was so happy to see he was happy. But I was also honoured that he asked me to be a part of the big day!
19. Wanting a relationship with someone is normal - as I've already said, I'm not single anymore! But when I was, I ended up getting a bit fed up of the single life and started wanting more, where I didn't start actively looking for anyone, I eventually found my now boyfriend, Tom, and that was 3.5 years ago! I'm happier now more than ever and that's all thanks to him. Basically, it's perfectly normal to want something more and that 'something' will come around when you least expect it :)
20. Keeping opinions back accomplishes very little - sometimes, offering an opinion (whether it was asked for or not) can make the world of difference. Whether you're looking for a solution to something or simply wish to voice a concern then injecting your opinion can be just what's needed. I always try to make it as constructive as possible as a destructive opinion can often have the same effect as not having one at all!
21. Doing something crazy isn't actually that crazy at all - this all comes back to doing something for the story. One time, my boyfriend and I went to a pub in Cambridge while on a mini-break, had a few too many bevvies and couldn't remember getting back to the hotel, but we'd never really done anything like that before and we haven't done anything like that since, but whenever we tell someone about it they always laugh! There's obviously more to the story than that, but that's only for our friends to know ;)
22. You can finally afford some luxuries - having a full time job doing something I love and finally establishing a career comes with many perks. I've always been taught the importance of earning what you want. If I wanted to go to the cinema with friends, I needed to do some chores to earn it. Same goes for right now, if I want new perfume or wish to buy myself a new pair of shoes, I go to work, earn the money and then use that to buy the luxury items. If I want something I don't necessarily need, I can just buy it knowing I've earned it!
23. Changing your mind is totally fine - there seems to be a sort of stigma when it comes to mind-changing, but you really needn't worry about that. Whether I've changed my mind about buying a certain item, or decide that actually, I'd rather stay in on Saturday night, it's all ok whatever your decision.
24. Life after 25 is simply a new and exciting chapter - 25 is not old by any stretch of the imagination so I'm not scared of what the future has to offer in terms of that. What happens, happens, what will be, will be and there's only so much you can do to control future events. You can prepare for all sorts, but for me, it's all about looking forward to what life after 25 has to offer, rather than be frightened of what could be or what won't be.
25. There's still so much left to learn - as I've already said, 25 is very young and there's still a hell of a lot I don't know, but I'm looking forward to working it all out.
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Let me know what you realised when you turned 25 in the comments below or via my social media links. I will see you again very soon with a brand new blog post!
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