27 things I’ve learnt in 27 years

I turned 27 yesterday. Whaaa? When did that happen? It only feels like yesterday that I was still in Uni spending far too much time on my PS2 and playing geeky card games like Magic the Gathering…yeah, I was one of ‘those’ people (still am).

Confession: I love my twenties. Love, love, love them. I’ll take 27 over 17 any day. I’ve become more confident, started doing lots more sports and have a career that I love. I enjoy the freedom in responsibility, and I’m better at accepting my limitations.

I remember reading a blog a couple of months ago from someone who had noted down one thing they’d learnt for evey year they’d been alive and I think it’s a great idea, so here are 27 things I’ve learned in my 27 years:

1. Always be reading something. Books are your friend.
2. Leon is the best movie ever made!
3. Find a job where you can learn more, not earn more.
4. Really think before you hit that “Send” button on your email. Read what you just wrote. Do you sound like a twat? You’ll most likely regret saying it.
5. Say “Yes” against your better judgement once in a while. Some of the best things happen when you try something new or unplanned.
6. Don’t turn on the TV unless there’s something specific you want to watch as 90% of the stuff on it is trash!
7. The better you get at something, the easier it looks, the easier it looks the less people will respect it (or want to pay for it).
8. I’m still not sure I believe that Pluto isn’t a planet.
9. Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi.
10. The dot over the letter ‘i’ is called a tittle.
11. Take lots of pictures. Someday you’ll be really glad you did.
12. You should watch The Big Lebowski if you haven’t already. If you have, watch it again!
13. Time heals (nearly) all wounds…
14. I can Listen to music by Less than Jake on repeat all day.
15. Physical exercise is great at reducing stress and anxiety as well as improving your health.
16. A Saudi Arabian woman can get a divorce if her husband doesn’t give her coffee – sounds reasonable to me. No-one should be deprived of coffee!
17. I’m not sure I truly believe in Karma, but the concept of doing good things then good things will happen in your own life, has worked out pretty well for me so far.
18. Everyone has their successes, so make sure you’re able to recognise them, because they may not come in the form of £’s or $’s.
19. The bigger the team or company, the harder it will be to make a difference. Small is beautiful sometimes.
20. Try looking at something from a different point of view before moaning about it. Change the way you view things and you’ll become a lot more accepting of others.
21. Confident women are sexy.
22. Try to have fun in your job. Fun is not the enemy of work.
23. Beer tastes nasty and I’ve never liked it. Cider is much better.
24. There is a song for any (and every) emotion you’ll ever go through in life.
25. I’ve yet to discover any word in the English language that rhymes with purple.
26. A weightlifter from Bristol, played the (body) role of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars films.
27. Never forget to Smile…..it irritates angry people.