18 Lessons I Learned In 18 Years

This audio was originally created as a short film I created called; “18 Lessons I Learned in 18 Years.” The film shares the lessons that I value the most which I have absorbed over my past 18 years of life here on Earth. I hope you connect to the lessons and that this will inspire you through your own journey in life.

Transcript

18 Lessons I've Learned in 18 Years by Sarah Thirkel Always make your bed.

I once absorbed the entirety of a 20-minute speech given by a Navy SEAL called Admiral William H.

McRaven.

I fell in love with every word he spoke.

The point that really stood out to me was the simple act of making your bed.

He said,

If you make your bed every morning,

You will have accomplished the first task of the day.

It will give you a small sense of pride,

And it will encourage you to do another task,

And another,

And another.

And by the end of the day,

That one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed.

Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter.

If you can't do the little things right,

You'll never be able to do the big things right.

And if by chance you have a miserable day,

You will come home to a bed that is made.

That you made.

And a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

So if you want to change the world,

Start off by making your bed.

Appreciate each moment because nothing lasts forever.

Humans tend to never feel satisfied with life.

We are constantly striving for something bigger and better.

Stop to smell the flowers.

Appreciate everything you have and everything you once wished you had.

Be present with loved ones.

Live every day like it's your last.

Some people will treat you like shit.

Quit trying to please everyone.

Know your worth.

Recognize what makes you proud of who you are and what makes you special.

Be mindful about who you trust.

Everyone comes in and out of our lives for a reason.

You can't do everything.

I am extremely ambitious and at a very young age I felt like the world was my oyster.

I was constantly coming up with these new,

Great ideas.

And my list of career possibilities was endless.

My mother would always remind me,

Sarah,

You can't do it all.

Eventually I understood what she meant.

We're living in a time where productivity and workaholism is extremely glorified.

The I'll sleep when I'm dead and the grind never stops kind of mentality.

The more things you take on,

The more overwhelmed you will become.

And this will cause you to burn out.

Quality over quantity.

Do the things you love the most.

And remember that it's okay to do nothing sometimes.

Healthy eating is about balance.

Letting go of perfection with your nutrition.

Being able to balance your plate and see food as food while meeting your body's nutritional needs but also your mental slash emotional needs.

Able to enjoy fun foods without feeling guilt or shame.

You must love yourself first.

Create the foundation of a strong self worth.

Constant self deprecation is funny in the moment but ultimately leads to low self esteem.

Quit putting yourself down.

Take pride in who you are and everything you have accomplished.

And carry yourself accordingly.

Being different is a gift.

In middle school I always felt like an outcast.

I went through a time in my life when I didn't have any real friends in school.

Now I am grateful for that experience because it taught me that it's better to be by yourself for a while than to surround yourself with people who don't accept you for you.

Be comfortable with who you are and stop caring so much about what people think.

Having confidence in who you are is 100 times more intimidating to those who feel pressured to conform.

Do not cater to the expectations of others.

There's a quote,

You scare people because you are whole all by yourself.

Lauren Alex Hooper.

Don't waste time comparing yourself to others.

No one is perfect.

Everyone has their own shit to deal with.

Social media is a highlight reel.

Everyone is on their own path of life.

Focus on yourself and your own goals.

It's okay not to be okay.

We will never be happy all the time and that is okay.

In life you will experience pain and suffering and it's not healthy to bury your negative emotions.

It's okay to feel sadness and pain and guilt or whatever you are experiencing.

If you feel overwhelmed sometimes you just need to cry it out,

Write it down or ask for help and know that it's okay.

Resilience is incredibly valuable.

Adapt and overcome.

Your greatest failures often lead to your greatest moments of strength.

Resilience represents how pain can be beautiful.

I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me.

Joshua Graham.

Never give up,

Never stop believing,

Never stop fighting.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

Neil Donald Welsch.

Gymnastics taught me that stepping into fear is when real growth happens.

Don't be afraid to be spontaneous,

To say yes to new experiences.

Stepping into uncertainty often leads to the most exciting adventures.

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Susan Jeffers.

Self-pity is futile.

You can't decide the circumstances life hands you,

But you can choose what you're going to do about them.

Stop standing in your way of achieving greatness.

Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.

Quit feeling sorry for yourself and making excuses.

If you're unhappy,

Take action in the direction of change.

He who says he can and he who says he can't are both usually right.

Confucius.

If you want something in life,

Reach out and grab it.

Christopher McCandless.

If you want something,

Go after it,

No matter how ridiculous it seems.

Believing in yourself trumps all the surrounding doubt.

There is no substitute for hard work and dedication.

Don't wait for opportunities to come to you.

Create opportunities for yourself.

Send the email,

Attend the class,

Put in the hours.

Do the things that will move you toward whatever you set your mind to accomplish.

You have to initiate plans with people.

You can't expect friendships to last if you don't initiate plans with them too.

It's a two-way street.

Sometimes a friend is only a call away.

Be the one who is not afraid to reconnect.

Put in the effort.

Maintain the good relationships in your life.

Your attitude is everything.

Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.

Wayne Dyer.

Life is too short to spend it at war with yourself.

It's the opportunity rather than the obligation.

Be soft.

Do not let the world make you hard.

Do not let pain make you hate.

Do not let bitterness steal sweetness.

Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree,

You still believe it to be a beautiful place.

Your life is only ever as good as your mindset.

Change is good.

Do not allow the fear of change stop you.

It will feel like hell until you let go and finally make the change.

Most often,

You'll be better off after the fact.

The journey is always greater than the destination.

We spend most of our lives looking toward whatever goal we're chasing.

Sometimes life takes us in a completely different direction and we don't reach that final destination.

I've learned the real reward is always in the journey.

Keep the faith.

Just keep moving forward.

Time heals everything.

In the end,

Everything will be okay.

And if it's not okay,

It's not the end.

John Lennon.

Keep your faith.

Three years old.

I was born in West Sarah.

Sarah,

How does it feel to be three?

Good.

Sarah,

What's your favorite part of the cake?

The prinkle egg.

The short film by Sarah Thorkle.

Reviews

That was so beautiful and so well done Sarah! Thank you so much. I really needed to hear this!

Beautiful lessons for life. Thank you for sharing. 🌛💜🌜

Just what I needed this morning. Thank you ❤️

Wow Sarah...this was amazing
Thank you for sharing this

Amazing. Beautiful. Thank you!!!