For the final 30 days of my twenties, I am writing one personal narrative a day that has impacted my life until now.  To read more about my challenge, feel free to check out the first post. 

Also, this 30 Day challenge is also to support a wonderful charity, Zara Aina.  Please check out my fundraiser here and if you’re able, please consider throwing a few dollars toward this amazing cause.  It would mean the world!

Thirty Lessons Learned Between 20 and 30

1. How to haggle with a NYC hot dog vendor
2. How to stand on the right side of the subway platform so you get off on the right side of your stop
3. Always tip extra
4. Always double-read a lease before signing it, and for heaven’s sake, keep a copy
5. There is no way to decide on all your life goals at 21
6. Gratitude is not the sole answer to anxiety, but it is a gentle start
7. The third drink is the window between two drinks and six drinks
8. A lot of famous people are regular, nice human beings
9. And on that note…there is no magical separation between the Broadway/Hollywood world and the rest of us
10. I don’t need to try and monetize all my skills/hobbies
11. A stalled train is not actually the end of the world
12. Always carry chocolate
13. Your body is capable of way more that you give it credit for
14. We have the option to eat a lot of crap or eat food that fuels our body
15. Sometimes you need to spend a little money to get over your fear of being broke
16. At times, it’s better to go to bed instead of saying what’s your mind, other times it isn’t, the trick is knowing the difference
17. Days of rest lead to days of productivity, and you never get a badge of honor for claiming otherwise
18. You have no control over your audience’s reaction, only over your level of preparation and honesty
19. Time heals all wounds, if we give ourselves the space and forgiveness to allow it to pass
20. Nothing good every comes from being snippy to a waiter–or any business you interact with
21. Living a life without barriers from pursuing your art or passion is the greatest privilege, and one worth fighting for, even if it’s never attained
22. Go for a walk
23. The more money involved, the more you need to fight for the project’s genuine, original purpose
24. Telling someone to “choose happiness” is a lack of awareness of your privilege of stable mental health
25. You have no reason to feel guilty for taking care of yourself
26. Hard work does pay off, but it is not rewarded evenly
27. An arts career is a long-distanced run, not a sprint
28. How to educate myself during a mind-numbing, dead-end job
29. Kindness is always the answer, is any situation you can imagine, no matter how many people label you as weak for believing so
30. Nobody owes you shit