Last Sunday I turned 25.

And because I'm such a big-picture-need-to-accomplish-so-many-things-to-fulfill-my-life-purpose kind of person, it really freaked me out. There is a lot I want to accomplish in this life and the thought of turning 25 made me realize how far I have to go. Thankfully a friend suggested I stop and reframe... and that's what this post is all about. A reframe to shout out all I HAVE accomplished before I move on to accomplish more.  :)

If you're a future tripper like me, I encourage you to take out a piece of paper or word doc and do this exercise for however long you've been on planet earth. Being mindful and grateful for the past and present is SO important when creating the future. We can't get to where we want t go without first acknowledging where we are. If you aren't ready for that long of a list, there is a shorter version below that only requires you reflect on 7! 

25 Things I've Accomplished at 25

Okay, here we go:

1. STARTED a blog:
I've wanted to start a "professional" blog for years and though I dabbled in the blogging world in the past, this diary is the first time I stuck with it. Putting myself and my experiences into the world in such a raw and authentic way was terrifying! It took overcoming past life trauma and my natural tendency to be shy around strangers. But I did it and I'm so glad because it has brought me more joy and connection than I could have EVER imagined.

2. LIVED on my own: 
I've wanted my own space since I can remember but those who know me in real life know how irrationally afraid I used to be when I was alone. My parent's couldn't go next door without me sitting by the door with a phone in my hand *incase* there was a burglar. It was bad! But I wanted the experience of living completely on my own before I ever lived with a partner so I worked up the courage to just do it. 

3. LEARNED to speak/write full sentences in another language: 
Jag kan prata svenska! I learn a word or two a day and love how I can now speak a sentence and be understood. HOW  COOL.

4. FLEW on my own:
I've flown all over this world for dance, but until this year I had never flown alone! Like burglars, heights and flying were one of my biggest fears. I checked that one off the list in February and it makes me feel a lot more prepared to cross the ocean this summer.

5. FOUND my people and realized 'soulmate' has nothing to do with a guy:
Before starting social work I had never known what it felt like to fit in with a group of girls. I had friends, but it all felt fake. You can probably imagine then, how excited I was to meet my social work friends who understood and loved me completely. I called them in with the law of attraction and there is no doubt in my mind we've had many lives together. 

6. BECAME self-aware:
When I used to feel uncomfortable or have things go wrong, I blamed other people. My first boyfriend took on a lot of this. A few years ago everything changed; I realized I was in control of how I felt no matter the situation and that my body gave me clues when I was starting to feel reactive rather than responsive. Becoming self-aware of my weaknesses/triggers/tendencies and being vulnerable in sharing them with other people has made me a much more pleasant person to be around.

7. FEEL safe being authentic:
It sometimes scares me how open I am on the Internet, haha. Well, momentarily, and then I remember why I do what I do. Three years ago I wouldn't have offered my opinion on what I wanted for dinner let alone my thoughts on whether or not angels are real. This is healing.

8. ACKNOWLEDGED my weaknesses:
Kind of related to being self-aware, but I have finally come to terms that I have weaknesses. I no longer try to hide them. There is no need! We all have weaknesses and they are beautiful because they show us we are real.

9. STARTED a business:
A completely accidental business, but I love the idea of growing!

10. DANCED in the World Championships: 
I sometimes forget how much effort I put into that. :) So much blood, sweat and tears that it physically stunted my growth - apparently?

11. BECAME a social worker:
This is my favourite. If you read this post, you know I was on a completely different path until I was lead to social work. I still don't know how it happened, but I know it was meant to because being a critical thinker and advocating for the vulnerable and oppressed is EXACTLY what I'm meant to do. 

12. LEARNED to let go:
Letting go when we don't want to is one of the most difficult things we will ever have to do as human beings, but I'll tell you this: letting go is a skill and it can be learned. And when you learn it, life gets so so so so SO beautiful because you no longer settle for anything less than the absolute best for you.

13. CHALLENGED the status quo:
It's terrifying to put yourself out into the world in a controversial way. I'm a Lifepath 1 so maybe it would be more challenging for me not to because I'm here to lead, but regardless, it was scary and I'm so proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone to encourage others to think critically about the world and where they fit in it.

14. LISTENED and trusted my intuition:
One of the most beautiful things about being a sensitive being is my connection to my intuition. I follow my intuition in all I do. Two recent moments that stand out are: 1. When the idea for this site floated by my mind's eye in an imaginary balloon and I felt a strong pull to reach up and grab it. 2. When my friend asked me to go out and I really didn't want to... but I looked out the window just as I was contemplating not going and saw the numbers 333 on a license plate. 333 is meant to mean you are surrounded by Ascendant Masters but my intuition felt it was more a sign I needed to go out because there was someone I would meet. My intuition was right and that person became one of my favourite people.

These types of visual intuitive nudges are known as clairvoyance and you can read more about that HERE.

15. ASKED for help:
Back to that Lifepath 1 thing, I like/need to be independent so asking for help is uncomfortable. It was never overly difficult asking for help from my family members but in friendships and romantic relationships it was one of my biggest obstacles. I'm still not super great at it, because I hate to be an inconvenience, but I'm making huge improvements so this fits on the list.

16. ACCEPTED rejection:
Growing up I was never held back from anything. Things always seemed to come really easily to me. So - to say it ripped my heart out to hear a guy I loved tell me he wanted to find someone better is an understatment. It HURT but it also made me stronger, and I'm grateful. I haven't been rejected like that since, but the experience gave me compassion for when I sometimes need to reject others. Being rejected is part of life; we aren't meant for everyone.

17. LEARNED food is medicine:
In third year university I switched birth control and my sensitive skin just couldn't deal. Though my acne was only "mild" it felt like the end of the world and kept me from going off the pill for years in fear it would happen again. After beginning my transition into veganism this fall, I also made the decision to stop my birth control. My body wanted to detox so my intuition could get stronger. Instead of being afraid I decided to be more intentional about the foods I consumed and my skin has been great! When it's not, I see it as my body asking for hydration/nutrients and with a tweak or two (more water, less sugar) it settles back down. The same is true for depression. When my mood gets low, I get mindful about nutrients. B12 and Magnesium are big players in this. More on that HERE.

18. WROTE a published article:
On a few different platforms. I also took part in a podcast. My shy inner child is beyond proud of me for putting myself out there!
 
19. PASSED organic chemistry:
Just thought I should add this one in, cause ya, never felt more accomplished than that 68% on my transcript. Big thanks to my girl Alyssa for making this one possible.

20. GOT 100% on a university paper:
And it wasn't even mine. It was one I *helped* write for a friend! Haha.

21. HURT someone and admitted I was wrong:
Looking someone in the eyes and sincerely saying 'I'm sorry I hurt you' is beyond painful. That person knows who they are and I'm grateful they made it safe for me to own up to my wrongdoings. It's OK to make mistakes, it's how we learn. With that though, it's important to be accountable and apologize to those hurt in the process of any mistakes we will make.

22. FELT so happy it hurt:
I wrote about this here, and it's still one of my favourite feelings. I was just walking down the street in my hometown thinking about all the beauty in my life and it brought an overwhelming pain to my heart. Proof that emotions are just emotions and they exist on a spectrum. No good or bad. Breathe them in and breathe them out.

23. APPLIED and was accepted to a program in Sweden:
It still feels like an out of body experience - but I applied to my Masters abroad and that is a huge leap from the homebody I am.

24. REFUSED to settle:
For anything. Relationships, jobs, life.

25. FOUND what makes me feel most beautiful:
This is a good one to end on because I've been searching for a place of acceptance for years. Self-image has been a struggle. When I made the decision to start eating predominantly vegan, I didn't want to be another person hurting animals. Little did I know how much veganism would affect my self-image. I feel most beautiful and at peace when I am standing up for the rights of innocent animals. Be it outwardly through a blog post or conversation, or inwardly when I make the choice to forgo temptation to stick to my informed vegan diet.

The FUTURE:

And since we need to balance reflecting on the past with taking action on the future, let's end with one thing I plan to have wholeheartedly accomplished by 26! Discipline - and more specifically doing things even when I don't feel like doing them. My emotions guide my life so it's difficult for me to show up when I just don't feel like it but I'm working to change it, because if I rely on motivation for success, I'll never be successful the way I want to be successful. Motivation is fleeting, discipline endures. Dicipline will be my theme of the year.

Annnnnd and, incase you too have a million things you want to accomplish and are forgetting to stop to reflect on your past and ground in your present, my birthday present to you is a grounding/gratitude/goal-setting template I made from a journaling exercise I usually do. I encourage you to print the document and do your own reflection. 7 is my lucky number but it's also associated focus, intuition, knowledge and inner wisdom. Perfect energies for this work!
 

I hope you feel inspired. What are some of your biggest accomplishments? Quietly reflect on them or share them with a friend. It's powerful!

Chat soon,

Robin