Turning 22
Thank you @martopo_ from Instagram for drawing this.
This month I turned 22. It’s funny how I thought at 20 and 21 I was still so young but now that I’m 22 I feel really old. But I keep reminding myself that my whole life is still ahead of me, there are still so many things to see and learn and so many people to meet. Travelling around my homelands Malaysia and Indonesia has been a confronting experience. I learnt so much about myself and what life really is. I am so grateful for everything that God has given. Life isn’t easy but in reality, we are blessed with so many things each and every single day. For that Alhamdullilah. Alhamdulilah for everything. And Alhamdullilah for another year in which I can continue to grow and be the best woman that I can be.
Nonetheless, today a girl had asked me what would be my advice since she just turned 20. Here, I made a list from my girl2leader talk and extended it up to 20 points. I really hope that this helps young girls and women to be the best that they can be as well.
1. Learn to love yourself so that you can be confident and resilient.
2. Know your worth and create your own validation. You are enough and what others think of you is only a reflection of themselves.
3. Write down at least 20 affirmations every single day. And write down at least one thing that you are grateful about.
4. Do not be afraid of being authentic or to embrace who you really are. Be aligned to your values and morals.
5. Not staying true to yourself takes a lot of energy and your true colours will always show at the end. So just be yourself because the people that matters and care will stay.
6. Compete with yourself to be better, not with others.
7. Be in a group of other likeminded girls that inspires you to be better each and every day.
8. Watch or read something inspirational or empowering every single day and APPLY IT.
9. At the end of the day, no one can really help you, unless you help yourself.
10. Always have good intentions.
11. Remind yourself of who you are, what you stand for and the dreams that you have. Make the intentions and take radical action.
12. Be easy and kind to yourself by taking care of your health and wellbeing.
13. It is okay to cry and to feel emotions. It only means that you actually care and we need more people that care. Respond, rather than react to situations. You can cry and feel sad about it but you also need to understand why you are feeling this way and you also have to understand that there needs to be a point where you decide when you have to stop, so that you can grow and learn from it and move on with your life. You can control your own emotions but don’t let your emotions control you.
14. Know that you already have everything within yourself to achieve anything.
15. RELAX. Everything will be okay at the end. Any tribulations you have right now is only preparing you for what will come in the future, so that you are strong enough for it.
16. Plans always change and that’s normal. Failure and rejection is only redirecting you to something even better.
17. Your life is not defined by one moment.
18. You always have the power to change your story. Rewrite it and liberate yourself.
19. You will meet so many people in your life that will come and go or stay. Let them be who they want to be because the people you meet are there to teach you a lesson.
20. Love God first. Always.