Oh if I could go back and plop down on my twin bed in the Rutledge Dorm room right next to my 20 year old self. We’d both be in sweats, still hoping to lose the “freshman 10″ and we’d both be fighting to live in the present moment without fear of the future and regrets from the past. I’d give her a big hug and say, “Sister, just breathe! It’s going to be just fine.”
Okay here it is in a nutshell…decide very early on that you’re going to live on way less than you make, and stick to it for a particular number of years…but at some point, loosen the reigns…like right about… now.
Take the chance…whatever it is…take it! Please! When they ask you to sing or dance or speak, do it. Allow your fear to fully serve its purpose…to strengthen you..
All those nights following the broken relationships…you remember the ones…you were so keenly aware of every nerve in your body and it hurt. And every thought was so deep and rich even though it really hurt. They were gifts. God hands them back to us as good memories when we were strong enough to appreciate how much we grew.
If the guy doesn’t fill the deepest desires of your heart, walk away; stay single just a little while longer. You’ll know… that you know… that you know… when it’s right. And all that ridiculous stuff about love at first sight…it’s all true.
If it takes years to see your dreams come true, just understand that the dream is big and it needed a lot of space.
Squelch the excuses you conjure up to not see the world. God made it spectacular, and He made it for us! Yes it’s expensive and so is living a life full of regrets.
Don’t play it safe. Live a story worthy of sharing with your kids…and your lifetime friends over dinner twenty years later.
When that thing in the pit of your stomach tells you to give up what makes sense and do what doesn’t make sense…listen. It doesn’t have to make sense to make sense.
Keep the letters… all of them…the love letters, the letters you passed in school, the letters about what you planned for the weekend, the apologies, and the breakups. They will all be incredibly beautiful one day. Later on when you read them, they’ll be like a time machine carrying you back .
Embrace YOUR music no matter what any older or younger person says. It’s our soundtrack. It will be ours forever, even when they start calling them “classics”.
Embrace the fear of the unknown. I’ve seen your unknown and it’s good.
Take all the opportunities even if they are not in line with your goals. They may be the clue that leads you right past your goals and into our dreams.
If you get a chance to become friends with a 40 year old, take it. They’re some of the coolest people around.
And just so you know, when you get to be 40, you’ll still be asking, wondering, dreaming, looking for answers. You’ll be the same person you are right now, only a little tougher and not nearly as worried about what others think.
And finally, you don’t have a clue! And neither do I. I’m holding out hope that 60 can shed some light on both of us.
The secret to life is to meticulously, thoughtfully, and carefully
plan to live as though you have nothing but time.
Happy Simplifying!
And lots of peace,
Kelly Breece