32 things I have learned in 32 years
Yes, this post is a bit out of the ordinary and tells you exactly what the title promises. I actually wanted to write this text for my 30th birthday, but then as a typical "virgin" I thought about it way too much. I thought it was weird to post a post that had purely nothing to do with our jewelry. Then at the beginning of the year, several people whose opinions I value very much told me that as the creators behind JUVELAN, we should show ourselves more and share more personal topics. At that moment, I decided that my 32nd birthday was the perfect time to share this post.
The doctor told my parents then that I would be born on August 17. But I gave myself a little more time - until August 27, to be precise, just before lunch.
Every year of life holds its own unique challenges, we learn every day and move forward a bit on our life's journey. Today I turn 32, and I think this is a good time to pause and write down some of the important lessons I've learned in my time on this planet so far.
One thing first: It goes without saying that I would not have survived these 32 years without the support of my great parents, siblings and friends who love and value me for who I am - even if it means that sometimes they have to wait 3,000 years to hear back from me (see lesson #30). And certainly not without the boundless support of my irreplaceable husband Fredrik, who, as you all know, is not only my private better half, but also the better half of JUVELAN - without him we would not be where we are today with our company.
Bye 31, you've been a fantastic year of life, and hello 32, I'm very excited to see what this year brings. Let's celebrate and eat cake - here come 32 things I learned at 32.
All love, Johan
- Laugh. A lot, and often (and loudly).
- Doors close for a reason. Instead, focus on the doors that are open to you.
- Don't wait for a special occasion to do something special. We all work hard and sometimes you just need to reward yourself for no reason worth mentioning. A 10-minute walk in the sun, a fancy dinner, the new shoes you've been eyeing for so long, the hotel with the private pool, a movie night on the sofa....
- Take enough time off. I'm still learning how to do that. As a workaholic, I always find something to do, but my body, head and soul need breaks to recharge their batteries.
- Humor. Use it. Often. It makes other people happy. Unless they don't share your sense of humor. But that's their problem ;-)
- You can't please everyone. And that is also good.
- Anything we want can happen.
- Make more time for your friends. Most of my friends live in other cities or even abroad. Even though it's not possible for me to see them as often as I would like, I try to see them as often as possible. Spending time together is like wellness for the soul.
- Learn from the people who want to teach you.
- Be proud of who you are and what you do. You have worked hard to get to where you are, so you can be proud of that.
- Some people come and then say goodbye again from your life. That is the way of things and sometimes it hurts.
- Never afraid to ask for help. As a bit of a control freak and perfectionist "virgin", it's often not easy for me to ask others for help. It took me a long time to learn that it's perfectly okay to ask for support.
- Surround yourself with positive and like-minded people.
- Sleep enough. It's so important for body and soul. Until a few years ago, I used to work until well after midnight. I thought that was the only way I could be productive and get everything done. That may be true for some people, but not for me. So I started getting up earlier and using the morning hours to work instead of going to bed late. And that feels much better for me.
- Take time to celebrate the little things in life.
- "From nothing, comes nothing". One of my favorite German quotes. And it's true: if you don't actively do something for your goals, nothing will happen.
- Your parents know what they are doing and are shaping you into the person you will become later. And then you will be grateful for what they taught you as a child.
- Learn from your mistakes so they don't happen to you again.
- Be polite to other people. Good manners do not hurt anyone.
- Dream big. And then do everything you can to make those dreams come true. It won't happen overnight, but it will be worth the hard work.
- Don't think too much. It's not always easy for brooders like me. But I've learned that sometimes you have to jump headfirst into the deep end to see what happens. You'll be surprised how much overthinking can slow you down.
- Stay humble.
- Perfectionism is great, but sometimes you have to send your inner perfectionist out the door. Even if something isn't perfect in your eyes, it's guaranteed to be for someone else.
- Learn to say no.
- Listen to music. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is turn on the radio. I listen to music all day until I go to sleep at night. It calms and relaxes me, makes me happy and immediately lifts my mood.
- If you don't feel it, don't do it.
- The best nights are the ones where you go out spontaneously in the evening, unplanned. I'm known for rarely going out - mainly for reason #14 - and because I prefer to plan ahead. But every once in a while, with the right people, when the mood strikes, spontaneous nights out are just what I need.
- Be honest.
- Hold the door open for others before you go through it yourself.
- Answer your messages! Anyone who knows me personally will probably laugh out loud right now. I am the most unreliable person in the world when it comes to answering messages. But: I'm aware of that and I'm working on it!
- Never take anything for granted.
- LOVE LIFE! I often hear this sentence from one of my best friends and I always have to remember it. Love life, because we live only once - so we should make the very best of it.
Photographer Bina Terré
