5 Lessons Learned In 2021
Happy December! I hope you have been well, and that as we approach the end of the year, you’re feeling good about 2022. I know I am! Here are 5 things I learned in 2021: my 23rd year on this Earth, my first-year post-grad, and my nearly second year back in my hometown since the pandemic breakout in March 2020.
Investing in good skincare products was well worth the money and effort! After graduating college, I finally had time to dedicate towards both internal and external self-improvement. So, in June, I began to get rid of most of the skincare products that I had used over the past four years of college (they were affordable but did not help my skin much after leaving Los Angeles) and replace them with higher-quality ones. Once I updated my skincare routine with them, I began to see immediate results. I’ve done the same with my haircare. Here’s to finding skincare products that work for you as your skin changes!
Don’t stop learning after earning your degree. There’s so much out there you have yet to see and experience. While I will always be grateful for Loyola Marymount University's education, I know that my educational career won’t end there! As of now, I have no plans for graduate school, but I can still pursue new interests and would have never considered a year ago. My internship has required me to learn beginner web coding, create unique newsletters, and the ins and outs of negotiating collaborations with influencers and brands.
Putting yourself out there is scary but needed for your personal growth. Being introverted shouldn’t hinder your social skills! Last spring, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and pursue new friendships with other outstanding young women in my area and continue to work on those that I’ve kept from my childhood. I had no idea that making friends as an adult would be so tricky, but I’ve learned so much from it about myself and the types of relationships I would like going forward. I now have a better understanding of my expectations and standards to cultivate healthy relationships that will help me become the best version of myself.
Becoming a “plant mama” will teach you so much about patience and letting go of control. There’s no one right way to get to where you want to go in life, but there are little steps that you can take to help your personal growth. I’ve had to learn that the hard way over the past eight months of applying for jobs and internships as a new graduate (rejection or not hearing back from companies doesn’t feel great) but also through my journey as a plant mama. My room is now filled with five happy and healthy plants, all named after my favorite literary characters and historical figures for that extra bit of inspiration: Lizzy Bennet, Carraway, Ophelia, and Zelda.
You will 100% learn who your friends are during difficult eras of your life for better or worse. Over the past year and a half, I’ve lost two relationships from college that I put a lot of time and effort into. They were the closest thing I had to family while living in Los Angeles. Now and then, I catch myself wondering what I could have done differently to preserve them and always end up with the same answer… nothing. I did all I could on my side to express how much those friendships meant to me! I’ll forever remain grateful for my happy memories with them: sleepovers at my apartment, spontaneous brunch dates, late nights spent at Disneyland, etc. People change, and so does the world around us. Sometimes you just have to let go and see things (and people) as they are.
That’s all for now! See you in the New Year.
- M.