22 Things I’ve Learned in My 22 Years of Life

“I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling twenty two…”  So today is my birthday and I know officially feel old. I know, I know, I am only twenty two, but now there really aren’t any milestones to look forward to (minus the big 3-0 and 4-0 but I really don’t like to think about getting to that age yet) and I’m married and have one kid. How in the world did we get this far in life already?

Since I’ve basically lived long enough to know all there is to know in life (I kid, I kid), I thought I would share twenty two things I’ve learned in my twenty two years of living life. If this get’s to be too much, skip this post and check back in for more normal posting. As always, thanks for stopping by Lulu Runs today!

MMmm’k, here we go…

1. Jesus is enough. That sentence really doesn’t need a lot of explanation, but I’ll do my best. I think that over the years, I’ve known that, but also tried different things to see if they satisfy. I’ve idolized things I shouldn’t have (i.e. body image, food…) and nothing fills the deepest longings life Jesus does. Even when everything else changes in life, Jesus is constant, enough, and thirst quenching.
2. Savor the mess. Let’s be honest – life is sometimes messy. But through these twenty two years I’ve walked on planet earth, I’ve realized that it’s not always about waiting until things are perfect to really embrace each day, but enjoying the messes and savoring each and every day that is given to us.
3. Running is my sport and passion. I didn’t grow to love running until I was sixteen and ever since then, my six year love for running has only grown. There have been bumps and bruises (literally) along the way, but my passion for the sport has only grown! Long live running. I hope to be that eighty year old lady running marathons. But I’m not in a rush to get there 😉
4. Food is fuel and food is good. I touched on this topic yesterday, but for so many years (around ages 16-18) food was scary to me. I had my safe foods and the other foods were strictly banned from my diet. Over the years and through recovery, I’ve learned that food is good, food fuels us to preform our best, and there really isn’t any foods that should be absolutely banned from our diets (unless you have an allergy of course!).
5. The wait is worth it. I got married young (at twenty) so, I really didn’t have to wait that long. But, the waiting that took place in my teen years for the right man to come along seemed like forever. However, over and over again, marriage to Landon has shown and proved to me that the wait for Landon was so, so worth it.
6. Marriage, built on a solid foundation, is wonderful. Speaking of Landon, marriage is wonderful guys! When marriage is build on an unchanging foundation (i.e. Christ) it is seriously, the best. Yes, marriage is a union between two flawed, sinful people so it’s not always perfect, but the beauty of marriage, is that two flawed, sinful people are bound together in a covenant that is centered on grace. Growing old with your best friend is one of the greatest things ever and I’m so happy to spend my birthdays with Landon.
7. Motherhood is beautifully hard. Wow, being a mom is such a blessing! Watching Benaiah grow up, learn how to crawl, sit up on his own, and smile at me is one of my greatest joys – but motherhood is also a high calling of sacrifice. Being a mom has opened my eyes to just how much my mom sacrificed for us and makes me so grateful for everything she’s done for us (and continues to do!)
8. Consistency is key. This little nugget of truth applies to almost every area in life (i.e. blogging, running, fitness, nutrition, etc.) I’ve seen in just the few areas listed previously, how small actions, over a consistent period of time, lead to great results! And everyone loves results, right?
9. “Abs are made in the kitchen.” Speaking of consistency, another nugget of truth I’ve learned over my many years of life 😉 is that not only does exercise play a vital role in an overall fit, strong, and toned body, but also just as important is nutrition. Proper nutrition + a good amount of exercise = one happy body. I’ve learned through trial and error that if you have one without the other, your results will be half of what you want them to be.
10. “Do not put off what you can do today until tomorrow.” This saying is one that I am really trying to make a habit in my life. Let’s call this one a work in progress, shall we? I’m an A+ procrastinator and it isn’t something that I love about myself. Lately, I’ve been really trying to not shove things to the side that I don’t like to do (i.e. insurance papers, budgeting, etc.) and just tackling it – head on and getting done whatever I can that day! It feels so great to go to bed, knowing that I got a bunch of undesired, but important tasks accomplished.
11. Trials make us stronger. No one likes to walk through trials, but this year God has shown me time and time again that when we walk through the trials, not only will He be with us, but He will also help us come out of the trial, stronger.
12. Running isn’t the only form of ‘real’ exercise. I used to think that running was the only ‘real’ form of exercise or at least the only one that was effective and boy, was I wrong! Recently, while recovering from a hip flexor injury, I started straying from my dull non running workouts that I had memorized and dabbled into plyometric workouts, Pilates, and even a little Zumba. I’ve been shocked with the results I am seeing, but I’m loving it! I’m excited to find a few other cross training exercises that are super effective and fun too.
13. Running teaches us patience! Speaking of running, another thing I’ve learned through running is patience. PRs, great races, and solid training runs do not magically come out of thin air. Running takes work, discipline, and patience. Some runs will be bad and sometimes your patience is tested when a run doesn’t go as planned or you are injured for the umpteenth time. BUT when you give running time and wait, patiently, beautiful things happen.
14. Beauty is in a moment. I’ve been trying to keep an eye out for beauty in the moments, in the simple moments and when you search for it, it is amazing how many beautiful moments, people, and places are right at your fingertips.
15. Do things that stretch you! Recently, I signed up for an intense four month business class and although I am super excited, I will admit, there is a little part of me that is nervous! But the things that stretch you make you grow and I can’t wait to see what growth comes from this class.
16. Create beauty around you.  I love making things beautiful. So, I’m not the most crafty person in the world, but I do like to make things beautiful. I love to create beautiful meals, a beautiful home, and beautiful pictures. I’ve learned you don’t need a lot to create beauty, just an imagination and a willing heart.
17. Mornings are important to me and I need to guard that time. I’ve always been a morning person and having a few minutes to myself in the morning is important to me. I look forward to my early morning devotions and hot cup of coffee each morning, but it is hard to get out of bed before the rest of the family does. Lately, I’ve realized I really need to guard that time, because without that time in the morning, my day feels all out of wack. Anyone else like this?
18. Bethel is probably my favorite music, ever. I’ll just leave this one right here.
19. Discipline/ self- control is one of the best things to ever learn. So, so many things in life require discipline. Exercise, eating healthy, doing things you don’t want to do, etc. I’ve learned over the years just how important discipline is and it is something I continually strive to get better at.
20. Stretching/ Warm up/ Cool Down is VITAL. As a runner, I’ve learned (the hard way) just how important stretching/ WU/ and CD is with running. And although I’ve learned this over and over and over and over again, I’m still working on the implementing thing. Please tell me I’m not the only one who struggles with stretching post run?
21. Coffee is a great friend to keep close. Coffee = life juice.
22. Laughter is good for the soul. I don’t really think this needs an explanation.

So there you have it, twenty two completely random things I’ve learned in my twenty two years. And now that I’m reading them all again, I realize it’s more like twenty two things I’ve learned this year…hmm… Maybe the title should be ’22 Things I’ve Learned as a 21 Year Old?’

Either way, I hope some of the things I’ve learned resonate with you in some way.  Thank you for keeping up with me this crazy year of my life (hello, becoming a mother). You all have definitely been a highlight of my twenty first year and I can’t wait to spend this next year hanging out with you guys some more, if you don’t get sick of me, that is 😉

And on that note, I’ll leave you, I have a birthday to celebrate. Bring on a run, all the coffee, and Halo Top.

Questions of the Day 

1. How do YOU celebrate your birthday? Any traditions?
2. What is something you’ve learned recently?
3. Any birthday movie recommendations?