20 Things I Wish I Could Tell My 20 Year Old Self #PersonalPost

If I could go back and talk to the '20-year-old-me' there are many things I would love to tell her, warn her about, advise her on, encourage her and put her mind at ease...

At twenty I was a professional ballerina working for the South African Ballet Theatre company (now the Joburg Ballet) at the State Theatre in Pretoria. I was renting my own little apartment in the middle of Sunnyside (can you believe it), taking the bus or sometimes walking (even more unbelievable) to work in town as I didn't have my driver's liscence yet and at that point I was in my first 'real' 'long-term' relationship.
My, how things have changed! :)

Here are a few things I wish I could tell that girl, or wish someone had told her then...

1. The job you have now, is probably not the one you'll have 10 years from now. So do work hard, set goals and dream big... BUT don't hang onto it so tightly, hold it with loose palms like you would a butterfly. There might just be bigger and better dreams in store for you, which you cannot even fathom yet! 
2. Life only becomes more expensive, start learning about money now already. (Read books, ask experts) Invest yours. Learn about clever banking, saving, getting out of debt and investing in assets. If you don't need to, don't get into debt!
3. Start thinking about the long term.. think about life cover, pension policies (or investments that can serve as such) and medical aid schemes (that aren't you parents').
4. Travel, Travel, Travel... any and every chance you get! Especially if you are getting paid to travel or can add some leisure time onto the end of a working trip.
5. Make Back-Ups of Everything!! The digital age is amazing but hard drives, discs and flash sticks can get stolen, lost or corrupted... back that sh*t up!
   
6. Look after your skin! It won't show up now, but 10 years down the line the indulging in the sun, the sleeping with your make-up on, the not leaving your spots alone and the not using good products will all start to show!
7. Perms are a bad idea. End of discussion!
8. Have a little more fun, be a little more reckless... be safe but try new things - the 'adult' life gets serious quite quickly and you may just long for your days of freedom and indulgence. 
9. Enjoy your body! It's young, incredible and healthy. And it doesn't take months to recover or see results if you choose to really train hard, eat well and shape it. 
10. A relationship is not a monarchy. It is not keeping score. It is not wanting each other to change but accepting and growing with each other. It is a compromise and not a sacrifice. It is something that makes you so much more than you are (and not less). A great relationship is a union so powerful you would give anything for each other and yet never expect each other to. A great relationship is one that allows you to be a strong, happy and fulfilled individual, so that together you lift each other up. And it's out there, don't look for it, it'll come to you.
    
11. There are no quick fixes. Have a plan, set some goals and then have perseverance and commitment to achieve them. In the long run, it's the only way to do it and it's much more rewarding.
12. Stop worrying about what others think of you. You are the only measure of your own success. Stick to what you believe in. Be bold and confident in who you are, without giving your power over to others opinions.
13. Foster good habits and start now. Get up early, exercise daily, drink lots of water, look after your soul - meditate, prayer, community, sleep.. whatever it needs.
14. Take risks, do those things you won't regret doing and you'll absolutely regret not doing.
15. Take action.. small steps of action every day. A goal remains just a goal until you make a start at trying to reach it. Every small step counts.. it's easier to take small manageable steps than major ones. So just do it.. make the call, send the email, start the first exercise, say no to that doughnut, google your options, find out more.. knowledge is power.
16. Family is everything.
    
    Spend more time. Send more messages. Call more often. Say more Thank You's and I Love You's. Life can be short, don't regret things you didn't say or things you didn't do.
17. Friends are a wonderful gift and treasure. Appreciate and invest in them, they may not always be
    around. Some come and go because they are just acquaintances, others go because they move, immigrate, change jobs.. and if you value them, show them. If they are true friends, they will do the same.
    
18. Follow your instincts and trust your gut.
    If you act on these sooner than you think necessary, you'll
    save yourself some heartache, time wasted and even regret.
19. Stop worrying. Stress serves no one and gets you nowhere. Life tends to work out in spite of you worrying about it. Our Creator has you in the palms of His hands and if you trust in Him, all will be
    well.
    
20. Live! Live with love. Live with gratitude. Live with joy. But Live!

So sweet-young-twenty-year-old Diani,
I really hope this 'thirty-something' will do you proud in the next 20 years to come.

Chat soon lovelies,