Tomorrow, I am turning 32.  I’ve got more wrinkles, more vision loss, and {hopefully} more wisdom.  I like to sit down before birthdays and reflect on what I have learned.  As an ode to turning 32, I’m sharing with you 32 lessons I’ve learned in my 32 years of living.

32 Lessons I’ve Learned in 32 years

1. A crazy schedule is not a badge of honor.  I’m realizing the importance of slow.
2. The glass is always half full.  You just have to see it that way.
3. Wherever you are, be all there.
4. Be selective about your tribe.  True, real friends matter.  Not your social media followers.
5. Realizing a dream feels just as good as you imagine it would.  For as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of having a white farmhouse.  That dream is coming true, little by little, and it makes my heart so happy.
6. When you have three kids, they ARE your monkeys and that IS your circus.
7. Patience is a virtue, but it’s not one I possess.
8. Drink more water.  It helps, well, everything.
9. “God doesn’t call the perfect, He calls the willing.  He doesn’t call the one who has it all, He calls the one who surrenders it all.” -Samuel Rodriguez
10. Never send a text message without an emoji.  It’s hard to convey tone with just words in a text message–always include that smiley emoji!!
11. Be intentional about family time.  Make it a priority.
12. Put yourself out there.  You’ll never get the job/promotion/date/award/whatever if you don’t go for it.
13. Never leave the house without lipstick and mascara.
14. Caffeine may be a drug, but it’s a miracle drug.
15. Be confident in yourself but not cocky.
16. Dogs make life better.
17. Know your strengths and weaknesses.  It’s ok to not be good at everything.
18. Change makes life more interesting.
19. Sunglasses can double as a hair accessory.
20. Taking a few minutes every morning to pray/read your Bible/worship will get your brain and heart right for the whole day.
21. God gives some of us (me!) a heart for music but not a talent for music.  Sing anyways.
22. Spontaneous road trips are the bomb-dot-com.
23. Big earrings are best.
24. Read a book.  It’s good for the brain and good for the soul. (Suggestion:  Nothing to Prove by Jennie Allen.)
25. Laugh.  A lot.
26. Never air your dirty laundry on Facebook.
27. Show up on time.
28. Make time to take care of yourself.  Eating right, exercising, massages, skin care.
29. Schedule downtime.  Life is crazy and chaotic and if you aren’t careful, it will run right away with you.  Plan time to do absolutely nothing once a week.
30. Keep a running list of things that make you happy. 
31. Do something good for somebody else every single day.
32. Own your own style.  Just because something is “in-style” doesn’t mean you have to like it.

For knowledge from my previous birthdays, see 30 lessons at 30 and 31 lessons at 31.