After 28 years of life’s experiences under my belt, and most of the experiences some individuals never even experience within an entire lifetime! 

With that in mind, I thought it would be fun and helpful to put together a list of 28 things I’ve learned in 28 years. I hope, no matter what stage of life you find yourself, my words will bring you some positivity and love. 

1. God is real.
2. Listen more than you speak. For most people, they care more about being right or winning an argument. Don’t be this person.
3.  Think for yourself. Educate yourself, and then make an informed decision or stance on the subject. 
4. Fears need to be overcome. You are so strong, in fact, you have no idea how strong you actually are. But through overcoming fears and difficulties, you will truly see yourself.
5. Being nice is attractive and really cool. Honestly! Being mean is just straight up not cute. It also doesn’t make you look, appear, or seem cool, at all. In fact it makes you appear that you have a low emotional intelligence.
6. Grief sucks. It sucks a lot. And there is no two people who grieve the same. If you find yourself in a season of loss, know that however you are dealing with it, as long as you are not causing harm, is absolutely perfect. You are doing great!
7. Some battles aren’t worth fighting. Pick and choose your battles wisely.
8. Seek wisdom, not just knowledge. There is a huge difference between knowing academia and obtaining wisdom. Knowledge will help you succeed in your career field, wisdom will help guide you throughout your life. 
9. Share the wisdom you’ve learned with your children.  The greatest wisdom I have ever obtained without first hand experience is from my Grandmother Anne. These memories I cherish and am so grateful for!
10. Love your body. This is the only body you are ever going to have. No matter how much I wish I was 5’10 and not barely 5’3 it it just simply never going to happen. Accept your curves, or lack thereof. Love all of you, so others can love you too.
11. Makeup can change your mood. I can be in the worst mood ever, throw some makeup on and I feel like an entirely new woman!
12. Set goals. Then set micro goals to achieve your big ones. The only way to accomplish a huge dream of yours, is by making bite size goals of how to best get there. 
13. Rules are meant to be broken. I am not endorsing breaking the law AT ALL, but there are some rules in life, i.e. don’t eat dessert before dinner, don’t stay up late, etc., that are not going to harm anyone or yourself. So girlfriend, go do it!
14. Be healthy, don’t obsess over it. I have seen many of my friends become all consumed by diets and workouts. I have learned that diet and exercise in order to FEEL your best, and BE your best. 
15. Be confident. And don’t apologize for it!
16. Positivity is key. 
17. Let the haters be your motivation. If someone says you can’t do this or that, use that fire inside of you as fuel to accomplish whatever you set out to do. 
18. Gossip is lame. I never gained a single thing by talking about others. Not one thing.
19. You don’t have to be in your later years of life to experience regrets. There is quite a bit of things I didn’t do because of whatever reason, embarrassment, pride, listening to the haters say I couldn’t do x,  y, or z.
20. The earlier you realize you cannot please everyone the better.
21. Most people will give you unsolicited advice. Be kind, and keep on keeping on!
22. People make time for the people they choose to make time for. It’s unfortunate, but it’s true.
23. Setting boundaries is a necessity. There comes an age where you get to decide how much others know about you, even your parents. You decide the boundaries in which you let them in, or keep them out.
24. Support other women. Be apart of supporting other women, not talking bad about them whether in person OR on social media. 
25. Learn to say no.
26. Keep an open minded. 
27. Look inside yourself often. Figure out why you believe what you do, question yourself. That’s the only way to achieve real change within yourself.
28. Love with your whole heart. You have no idea how much time you or someone you love has here on Earth. Heaven is real and at any moment you could find that someone you love has left this temporary, fallen world for the eternal, beautiful one.

XOXO, CAIS