20 Things I've Learnt In 20 Years!

1. You don't always have to go out.

In this generation there is a huge thing about FOMO (fear of missing out) which quite frankly I used to get all the time. Feeling like I couldn't miss out on parties or general gatherings incase my social status would be in anyway distributed or whether I would end up missing out on creating amazing memories with my friends. I later came to realise that memories will always be created and good ones at that, and that's without going to every single thing you've been invited to. Now a days If I'm totally not feeling up to going out or doing something I won't, Instead I will be more than happy putting my pyjamas on, lying on the sofa and watching movies on repeat. 

2. Your goals and dreams are never 'too big' or ambitious.

When you are younger your goals and dreams are always humongous, well mine were anyway and if I'm honest that's never really changed. I guess my goals and dreams have become a bit more 'realistic' and possibly achievable but they are still big big dreams. Sometimes it's easy to think that you should be going for something less ambitious and something that comes to you quicker and a lot of people do settle for them kinda jobs and careers but being me, I don't want to settle and I've learnt over the years that's more than okay. 

3. If you keep working on something you will get better.

This is definitely something that's drilled into us when we are younger so it's no wonder I've found it to be more than true with many things. I've always had a passion for writing which Is one of the main reasons I started my blog in the first place. When I look back to my first few blog posts I can't even see any similarities with my blog posts now, my grammar was awful, the vocabulary I used was even more bloody awful and the quality of the content I created, well again awful. Blogging is something that I've found to have become a lot better at, without even meaning to and I know it's because I've been constantly working on creating bigger and better content and always improving on the things I talk about and I guess that's why I've worked with more brands now than I did when I first started up.

4. If someone isn't making the effort then just know it's not right.

I've always been someone that makes *most of the effort in the relationships I have and have always had. I don't know if that's just because it's who I am and I enjoy doing so but I've found over the past 6 months or so I've stopped doing it with certain people. I've stopped putting in the effort to see people who never bother to make the effort with me. It's sometimes draining when you feel like you are the only person who wants to see someone, or are the only person who EVER makes plans or goes out their way to try and keep that relationship going. I think sometimes you have to sit and evaluate how much you really mean to that person and whether it's even worth the effort you put in or whether you should be making more of an effort with others around you who always want to see you and talk to you. 

5. Blogging is the best thing you could have ever taken up.

I wanted to start blogging for years before I actually did and because I was too scared I waited a while. Now that I think back to it I'm so happy I plucked up the courage to start and just decided to do it for me. The amount of happiness writing blog posts and producing content gives me is an awful lot and I can't imagine my life without my blog. I've also managed to make the most amazing friends through blogging and couldn't be more grateful for having them in my life. Blogging has taught me not just about confidence but also a lot about myself and what I'm truly interested in and who I am as a person, it's taught me all about self worth and feeling good within my own body.

6. Take all those opportunities by the hand.

I've had the most amazing opportunities arise in the past and still more are flooding in right now. I've had the pleasure to work with Sibling London twice, and to go along to London Fashion Week to help back stage at their show. This was many, many years ago now but I still look back to it and am so grateful I had the pleasure of working with them. At the minute I have brands wanting to work with me and am just over the moon that these opportunities are being given to me. I've learnt that you have to grab each one by the hand, and never take it for granted, let it be a reward for how well you are doing, and let it be something that allows you to keep on pushing yourself!

7. The 'popular' girls never end up on top.

I don't at all mean for this to be a personal dig at anyone (maybe) but when you are at school and you aren't exactly the prettiest, the coolest or the brightest you kind of get pushed to the back. You may have a lot of friends and be liked by people but you never fall in to the group that is 'the populars'.Going through school you wonder just what it is they have to offer that deems them so popular, is it because they can all afford the coolest clothes, is it because they can all talk to boys without turning bright red and embarrassing themselves... I don't think we'll ever know. When you get to sixth form this whole 'social hierarchy' is literally thrown out the window...the girls who once wore the crowns now sit along the same line with everyone else (and even if they think they are at the top of the food chain...they aren't). You watch as all of those girls and guys who had never been deemed as 'popular' start turning into amazing and bubbly people, each individuals to their own and I've found that to be because when you aren't popular in secondary school you have to work on your personality to fit in.

8. People change for the worst but you just have to deal with it.

If I'd have been told from an early age that people will disappoint you time and time again I'd have probably been more prepared for the severity and the amount of people that actually go on to do just this. You think you know someone when you start a friendship or relationship with them, and because you spend a lot of time together getting to know the ins and outs of each other you honestly believe that they couldn't ever change for the worst and wouldn't ever do anything to hurt you. But just because you know people for a long time doesn't mean they won't and I've learnt that the hard way. I've learnt that girls change when they start to see you getting more attention from boys or building new friendships up with other girls. I've learnt that girls change when they get into relationships with guys and that they decide they don't have any time for you anymore. I've learnt that sometimes maybe they never really did change, and maybe it was always a part of them to be like that, you just hadn't seen it yet. However I've also learnt that you just have to deal with it, you have to move on from the disappointment and learn that there's nothing you can do to stop it.

9. Don't waste your time explaining to people why you aren't going to uni.

I've spoke about this a few times before, and I will say it again. Explaining to people why you have chosen not to go to uni and instead have decided to get a full time job can be tiring, especially when the people you are talking to don't understand at all and are so judgemental. I've learnt that instead of explaining in depth it's often better to just say ' because I didn't need to' which is so true and people (especially some adults) need to understand Uni isn't the route for everyone, and not everyone needs it to get to where they want to in life. 

10. No matter how hard you try you are going to end up with that hangover in the morning.

Probably one of the biggest lies I tell myself each time I go out for drinks: 'I won't wake up with a hangover tomorrow, I never do.' Urgh, the bain of all nights out has got to be knowing that if you want to enjoy yourself and go kinda crazy and drink a lot, then you are most likely, maybe even definitely going to wake up with a hangover in the morning...yes Caitlin, even if you end the night downing a pint of water!

11. Heartbreak never lasts.

Heartbreak is such a painful thing. At the time of it happening you think you are never going to get through it, and that you are going to be stuck feeling worthless, helpless and overall feeling like shit for who knows how long. You get up and get on with your day to day routine wondering when the hell this feeling will just dissapear and months, maybe years go by and you still feel sick just thinking about it...until one day it's gone. Without you even realising you forgot what the persons name was, what they even did to hurt you and you realise that you've come out the other end, better and brighter than ever!

12. Your idols are just regular human beings.

In the world of social media it's easy to look at our idols and see them as almost non human like. We watch as they are bombarded with likes and comments on their recent Instagram photos and watch as others of them are harassed by the paparazzi, it's almost as if we can't imagine this ever happening to us so they must be aliens, surely! I've had the pleasure of meeting a few of my idols and both times I was what you could call 'having a melt down'. That was until I realised how down to earth these people really are, and how they are just the same as you and me.

13. Don't be clingy. It's not cool.

No it's not cool to text them repeatedly, and no it's not cool to stalk their social media pages. You wan't to be the perfect mixture of reserved and free...always remember that!

14. But you aren't cool, so stop trying to be.

I used to always want to be cool. I used to always want to dress cool and act cool and just overall be 'cool'. But being the type of girl that always says the wrong things, embarrasses herself on the daily and can't even walk down the street without tripping over at least once I have decided I am in no way shape or form 'cool', and I'm more than okay with that.

15. Eating healthier and going to the gym DOES make you feel better.

This one has been something that took me a great deal of time to learn. When you are younger you think that you can eat whatever crap you want and that it won't really effect you in any way. Well I've always struggled with my skin and years ago it was something that made me feel so self conscious and if I'm truly honest, made me feel so down about myself. I hated looking in the mirror on days it was bad, I'd just want to stay at home and not leave the house. Realising that I had to make certain adjustments to my life in order to improve this meant cutting out eating rubbish EVERY day and instead drinking more water and going to the gym more...because yes it really does improve your skin and the way you feel about yourself!

16. You will sometimes have to put yourself out there. Don't be shy. Be yourself.

It's all so easy to fit in with the crowd and forget to stand out. Sometimes it can seem scary to put yourself out there in situations where you know you need to. Over the years I've had to do it in order to get noticed, in order to show people that I am more than what they see in person.

17. Be open minded to other peoples interests.

You have to understand in life that not everyone you come across will like the same things that you do. Some people will take interest in things that you've never even heard of before or really taken into account in any way. I've learnt that one of the best things you can be in life is open minded. Be open minded to getting to know more about what others are interested in, take the time to find out why they enjoy it and what it means to them...just like you'd hope someone would do with something you enjoy!

18. Don't always follow the current trend. 

Being someone who's always been interested in fashion, the idea of 'trends' has been something I've always been aware of. Learning that even though trends come about and there comes a bit of pressure with sticking with these trends when you are working in the fashion industry I've always made sure to only ever follow the trends I actually like because there's nothing worse than wearing something you actually hate just because in the fashion world it's deemed as 'cool' at the time.

19. Stand up for yourself when no one else will.

This has been a major thing that I have learnt in my 20 years of being on this planet. If you feel like no one else is going to stick up for you, it's always important to know that you have yourself. Don't ever let anyone make you feel worthless or put you down for any part of you that you don't consider to be something you need to improve on. I've experienced situations where I felt personally victimised (starting to sound like the girl from Mean girls now) and when turning to the people around me to say something or to at least 'have my back' I found the only person I had to rely on was myself. I won't ever not have my own back and feel like this is such an important thing in life to remember, when no else is there for you, you always have yourself.

20. Your dreams may be elsewhere but your home is where your family is.

I've always known that my future lies elsewhere, in a big city somewhere where the people never sleep. With what I want to do I know that I will have to move away from my family and they know that one day I will venture of too. I have learnt over the years that even though my dreams may be elsewhere my 'home' will always be where my family is, no matter where in the world I may be.

What I'm Wearing:

Playsuit: River Island
Earrings: Zara