42: The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything.

42 things I’ve learned in 42 years:

1. Karma always works, for better or for worse.
2. A good mascara and the right shade of lip gloss can make you feel like a star, even when you feel like a burned-out black hole.
3. Mom was right, my face did freeze like that.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
4. There is only one cure for Bitchy Resting Face, and that is a smile.
5. When you keep a smile on your face to keep the BRF at bay, people will talk to you a lot.
6. It’s fun to flirt with elderly men at the grocery store; it makes me feel young.
7. Bloom where you’re planted.
8. Ketchup chips may taste amazing, but they make me feel the opposite of amazing.
9. The best way to keep from eating junk is to only buy healthy food.
10. Spinach smoothies keep energy up even when wake-up time is 4:30 am.
11. It turns out that that peri-menopausal thing that wakes you up at night is handy for us super early risers.
12. Unfortunately it also means that I am in a coma by 9 pm.
13. I do not like the nightlife, but I do like to boogie.
14. Foregoing lots of fun things and paying off debts early is the best for long-term financial stability.
15. Money spent on travel is better than money spent on stuff.
16. If you have friends that you travel with and still love them after traveling, cherish them, because they are the best.
17. Instead of saying “I don’t have time to do x,” try saying “X is not a priority to me.” If that doesn’t sit well, change things. “Bringing a dish to the potluck is not a priority” has a different ring to it than “Keeping up with my friendships/ health/ marriage/ kids is not a priority.”
18. Priorities change, embrace it.
19. There is zero value in arguing with people on the internet.
20. I miss the days when no one knew the way other people voted, and it was considered impolite conversation.
21. It’s often better to be kind than to be right.
22. When people lash out at you, it might have nothing to do with you. It might be that they are having a bad day or have issues that have nothing to do with you.
23. On the other hand, sometimes it does have to do with you – own it and fix it.
24. Cake is one of life’s great joys.                                                                                                                                                     
25. If you are happy, your happiness radiates around you.
26. Wine is divine.
27. Whenever Leonard Skynyrd says to turn it up, I do.
28. A good eye cream is worth the money.
29. My children bring me more joy than I ever thought possible.
30. So does my husband.
31. Despite what I thought for the majority of my life, it’s really easy to make your own bread.
32. Ditto with jam.
33. It turns out that cardiovascular exercise is really important.
34. A walk with Barkley can turn the day around.
35. You can decide your destiny, and you can change when things change.
36. There are few things more wonderful than shopping for plants.
37. Things usually work out in the end, even if they are uncomfortable or painful in the moment.
38. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is sit down and put your feet up.                                                       
39. Yoga is magic.
40. So is kindness.
41. Friends are the family you choose; surround yourself with good people.
42. If the tiara fits, wear it.