As a retiree, when I look back at my life and reminisce with friends, it’s easy to focus on the negative. So for 2024, I’ve resolved to acknowledge and congratulate myself for things I did in the past.
There were many choices I took for granted that turned out to be wise decisions. They’ve brought me happiness, good fortune, transformative experiences, and valuable skills. I’m not perfect and I certainly have some regrets, but I’m proud of the person I’ve become. My younger self is a big reason for that.
Here are three things I’m so glad I did in my 20s and 30s:
1. I reveled in the beauty and abilities of my body
I’ve heard from many friends that they regret the time they spent in anguishing over their bodies. They worried about being too fat or too thin, that their breasts were too big or too small, or that their hair was too curly or too straight.
This was before the intense pressure that many young women get from social media nowadays to look a certain way — and to do things like injections and plastic surgery to achieve a false and unrealistic standard.
I’m glad I was able to avoid that stereotypically American body shame. When I was in my 20s and 30s, I loved my body and… Read full article here
