So anyways, I realize this post is 12 days late and maybe it’s irrelevant now. Better late than never.

2020 took me for a ride, and it seems like 2021 is starting off even weirder. My best friend said it best, my life is like a reality TV show at times. So the “21 lessons I learned in 2021” post will be a real showstopper apparently.

These are things that I wish I knew heading into 2020. I learned the hard way, so maybe I’ll save you some trouble. Or not, I vouch that trouble is just part of character development.

BONUS: It’s never too late to reflect.

1. Hurt people hurt people.
2. How two lane roundabouts actually work.
3. Self-reflection is an extremely underrated yet paramount skill to have and to engage in daily.
4. Breaking generational trauma/healing is so hard and something that a lot of people don’t see, but it will benefit you in the long run.
5. If you’re even somewhat money-conscious, paying for your own gym membership can be a source of motivation in itself.
6. It’s perfectly acceptable to be a bitch, just not all the time and for no good reason. Have a reason and stand up for yourself dammit, you can’t expect other people to have your best interest. Stop being a pushover.
7. Sometimes you are the bad guy in someone’s story, but you can’t get too caught up in how your actions (which are hopefully truly benefitting you) negatively affect others.
8. If you don’t ask the answer is always no. Again, stand up for yourself.
9. Know the difference between a true guy friend and a guy friend who has other intentions. Guys don’t always perceive the friendzone as their destination, it’s more of a right of passage to lead to more.
10. Know when it’s time to leave. Leave the party, leave the person, leave the job. If the shoe fits…
11. Multiple streams of income are always a good idea.
12. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, there is someone out there that you’ll meet on a whim and you’ll instantly feel the same level of comfort and ease. You’ll feel the smallest twinge of hope again.
13. When entering a situationship, honesty and transparency upfront (both with yourself and your partner) is key.
14. Take the saying “if they wanted to, they would” with a grain of salt. How many times did you want to do something but you didn’t follow through?
15. Go to bed early. Don’t even give the 2am loneliness a chance.
16. Use the Pomodoro technique when you have a lot of homework, especially papers/projects.
17. Roster dating isn’t for everyone. It’s perfectly okay to just date one person at a time. It doesn’t mean you’re lame or that you couldn’t have options if you wanted to. Your time is precious and you don’t need to waste it on multiple partners.
18. However, a hoe phase never hurt nobody. But you didn’t hear it from me!
19. Just shoot your shot with someone. Rejection isn’t the worst thing in the world. YOLO
20. You’ll never regret a workout.

XO

MACK