Five things I've learnt in my 20 years. Part One.

I saw this post on Sometimes Sweet about five things she has learned in her 20s. Obviously I am only eight months into my 20s but I feel like in my 20 years I have learned a few things along the way. That said I think for the next six weeks every Saturday I will blog about five things I have learned in my 20 years.

I like reflecting & from doing this I have realised that between 17 and 20 I have learned a lot & changed as well which is inevitable.

1. The company you keep is a reflection on yourself.

When I was 14/15 I fell in with the 'wrong' crowd. Basically I started neglecting my school work, going out & getting drunk, skipping lessons that I didn't want to go to & basically not being true to myself. After an intervention (not quite but at that age everything dramatic!) from my parents & a teacher at school I realised that the people that I was spending time with just weren't the people I wanted to be associated with. So I removed myself from that group of 'friends' which lead to comments like 'She thinks she can just talk to us when she wants & be our friend when it suits her.'

I stood my ground and was thankfully welcomed back into the group of friends I foolishly dropped.

2. If you want something then you have to ask!

Up until about a year and a half ago I was pretty shy & had very low self esteem, I hated asking for things or asking people questions. Simply because I felt as though I was bothering them then I realised that if you don't ask, you don't get basically.

I, also, realised that yes, I may be bothering them but I have a question & it needs to be answered. Sometimes I do fall back into my old way of being afraid of asking because I am worried about being an annoyance but then I tell myself to just do it otherwise I could be in this pickle for a while.

3. Having a positive attitude makes a difference.

I am a pretty positive person - some may say a little too glass half full but that is how I am! Being positive & looking for the best in a situation makes everything a little easier. I find that by having a positive attitude everything just works much better. It also means that people approach you & remember you in a different way than if you are constantly negative and whinging about everything.

4. There is nothing wrong with not being stick thin.

I always thought that in order to be pretty I had to be super skinny. It probably has something to do with low self esteem & the fact that in my early teens I was a little over weight but I addressed the issue and because of that I introduced exercise into my lifestyle & now it is one of my favourite things to do - sad, I know.

Right now, I am the correct weight for my height, I have boobs, I have a bum, biggish thighs & broad shoulders & there is no way of loosing that. I am big boned. End of.

5. Dress the way you want to.

It could be argued this isn't a life lesson but I see it this way... the way you dress is an expression of who you are. Wearing what you want to wear shows that you are comfortable with who you are & are proud to show it. My friends aren't too keen on the making an effort with an outfit everyday, I like to wear clothes than may be seen as 'dressy' for daytime but I like to wear something that makes me feel & look like I have made the effort. I suppose it is the same as not changing your personality depending on who you are with.