35 Years, 35 Lessons

Sunset in Islamorada, circa 2010

My dear friends, this post is long overdue -as I had it in my mind for months. Inspired by one of my favorite blogger's learnings and epiphanies and based on a 35-year empirical research cycle, here you have it: 35 years, 35 lessons. 

#1 The greatest successes in life come from very simple concepts: Karma, love, hard work, timing, faith and having dinner before 8pm.
#2 Family is everything.
#3 Dream big. Dreams come true.
#4 One of the keys of happiness is surrounding yourself with positive people that love you.
#5 A person who try to consistently make you feel bad about yourself, is clearly projecting his/her own sh*t/ frustrations on you. Just keep that in mind.
#6 Follow your heart. It always finds its way -it might take a few/a lot of detours or bumps in the road.
#7 Expect and dream about unconditional and hopelessly romantic love (see #3)
#8 Money comes and goes. Don't let your money define you.
#9 Live below your means and try to save money.
#10 There's no such thing as 'just one glass of wine'
#11 One glass of red wine is just 150 calories (aprox). The problem is that it goes great with cheese and bread. (see #10)
#12 DVD marathons of your favorite TV shows are some of the greatest entertainment options ever.
#13 Finding the TV show that rocks your world is just so sweet.
#14 Good eating is one of the greatest pleasures in life.
#15 It is OK to be single for years. Your relationships or sexual life don't define you as a woman. 
#16 A one-night stand is a perfectly valid life experience.
#17 Count calories, compensate, enjoy good food, exercise as much as you can.
#18 If he says he loves you, he might be lying, but when he tells you he doesn't, he is not lying.
#19 Love without commitment doesn't go anywhere. Love and attraction are pivotal. But commitment is what really takes the relationship to the next level.
#20 If he is the wrong guy, the sooner he leaves, the better.
#21 Yes, there are people in the world who don't like Paris or like Fidel Castro.
#22 When you don't like something, it doesn't mean that it is going to be bad for you -sometimes, quite the opposite.
#23 Follow YOUR intuition. If you make a mistake, at least it's YOUR mistake, hence YOUR lesson. 
#24 Believing in mistakes is kind of empowering and takes a lot of pressure off. (see #23)
#25 Learning and forgiving are some of the most healing processes ever. There's always a lesson to be learned. 
#26 A broken heart is like a bad cold: When in full swing, you think you're dying, but eventually you always get over it.
#27 A girl becomes a woman when she realizes that her mother was always right.
#28 The greatest things in life involve some degree of fear. Don't let the fear keep you from doing anything.
#29 When you are scared of doing something, but you are even more scared of not doing it, it is pretty obvious that you really have to go for it. (See # 28)
#30 I truly think that there's a place in the Universe where souls meet and dreams start coming true.
#31 Over prepare, work hard, but also go with the flow and let the Universe/God do what They have to do. (see #30)
#32 When two people really want the same thing, there are no boundaries, only possibilities.
#33 Accept advices, but do what YOU feel is right -become fully accountable/responsible for your doing (see #6 , #23 and #24)
#34 In a relationship, every person has two main jobs: giving to your significant other all the love, support, comfort and security, and at the same time, not taking that other person for granted.
#35 Nothing more empowering and relivieving than the inner peace that comes from knowing that you are in the place where you really have/want to be. 

(Ha! I wonder how this post will  look like when I hit 40!)

Have a great Wednesday!





8 comments

  1. Super doll, have a great day. Love the picture x

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  2. These are very wise statements, my friend...it kind of seams like life has taught us a lot of the same lessons:) This must be one of the reasons we hit it of so well.
    Fabulous post, I really love it!
    XO, Gina
    http://classyeverafter.blogspot.com

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  3. I truly love this post! So heartwarming, and what a great idea to reflect upon! xo Caroline

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  4. I love this very wise, very enlightening post, I found these are such valuable lessons that I also hope to learn. Wonderfully said!

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  5. Amazing post - lots of wisdom, and I found myself nodding along to so much of it!

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  6. I love 29!!! It's so very true:) I love your list, darling. Enjoy your day. xoxo

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  7. Hi elsa, thanks for your kind visit. Thats so exciting that you're coming to SA, and to Cape Town especially, its one of the most beautiful cities, you will not be disappointed. I sadly live a 16 hour drive away from there otherwise I would have loved to meet up. I hope you will be posting about your trip. Have a great Friday!

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  8. This is so special and I am blushing. I love your list because it's yours and the lessons are all incredibly real and important. Onward to 40 my dear!

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I would love to hear from you! You comments make me happy and inspire me to get better. Thank you!

@elsacafesocietyxxi

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