27

I turned 27 this year, and I can honestly say I have never felt this strong or this confident in my own skin.

Not because life is perfect. Not because I have everything figured out. But because for the first time in a long time, I know where I want to go, and I am making intentional decisions every day to get there.

I am becoming more mindful about who I spend my time with, how I speak to myself, how I treat others, and how I allow others to treat me.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned this year has been boundaries.

Boundaries with family.

Boundaries with friendships.

Boundaries with my own thoughts.

I’ve learned that not every thought needs to be spoken out loud. Not every opinion needs to be shared. Not every situation requires a reaction.

There is a quiet confidence that comes from knowing who you are and no longer feeling the need to explain yourself to everyone around you.

A few years ago, I met an herbalist who shared something with me that I didn’t fully understand at the time.

I had walked into her shop feeling overwhelmed and honestly a little depressed. I remember telling her how unhappy I felt, and instead of immediately recommending herbs, she started asking me questions.

“Are your parents alive?”

“Do you have a job?”

“Do your bills get paid?”

One by one, I answered yes.

Then she told me something that has stayed with me ever since.

Give yourself permission to feel upset. Give yourself permission to feel disappointed. Give yourself permission to cry if you need to.

But don’t stay there.

Give yourself 12 hours. Maybe 24 hours.

Then get up and keep going.

At the time, I don’t think I truly understood what she meant.

Now I do.

Over the past several months, I’ve started practicing exactly that.

When something doesn’t go my way, I let myself feel it.

When I’m disappointed, I acknowledge it.

When I’m hurt, I sit with it.

But I don’t unpack my bags and live there.

I move forward.

Not because I don’t care.

Not because it doesn’t affect me.

But because my life is too precious to spend it stuck in a moment that has already passed.

That mindset has brought me more peace than almost anything else.

As I move through 27, I feel hopeful.

I’m happy.

I’m growing.

I’m learning.

And I’m moving forward.

One intentional step at a time.