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cover art for 1321 || the best advice of 2024

Make Your Damn Bed

1321 || the best advice of 2024

1. You get one body. Be kind to it. Whatever sucks about it (more than likely) doesn’t compare to what doesn’t suck about it. Learn to appreciate the badass vessel that it is + honor your commitment to it. You’re stuck with it, so you may as well get along with it. 


2. You get one mind. See above.


3. You get one round at this life. How you spend your days is how you spend your life, so don’t put it off waiting for shit to happen to you - instead go out there and make it happen for you. 


4. You are not your thoughts.


5. Your reality isn’t the only reality. All realities are valid despite sometimes conflicting. Work to adopt more neutral perspectives to gain more objective reflections on reality. 


6. Change your perspective, change your experience. You change the outcome by changing your interpretation of the situation. Bringing the right attitude can greatly improve almost any situation.  


7. Slow the fuck down. Timelines are literally bullshit. Don’t rush it. Don’t stress it. Let shit flow and learn to enjoy the between times. 


8. They aren’t mad at you. If you didn’t give them a reason to be mad, and they didn’t directly communicate to you that they were mad at you? Stop worrying. 99% of the time they’re busy + distracted + forgot to respond. Relax. Unless you fucked up, stop feeling bad for shit you didn’t do. 


9. In fact, nobody is paying attention to you as closely as you think they are. Your life is yours. Write your story, don’t stress over the critics. As long as you’re not hurting anyone else, you’re allowed to do whatever the fuck you want, whenever the fuck you want. 


10. You are not unlovable. You are a badass human. You have had positive impacts on humans you literally didn’t remember existing + the world is genuinely a better place simply because you’re in it. You haven’t yet met all the people who will love you.


11. You don’t need to work so hard to be “liked”. Protect your peace, set appropriate boundaries, say no, but be kind + vulnerable + honest. The best way to be a crowd pleaser is not to be a people pleaser.


12. Leave shit better than you found it.


13. Internal peace is more rewarding and sustainable than happiness.


14. Your looks are the least interesting thing about you. 


15. Practice pausing before responding. Automatic reactions are human, but they’re typically not reflective of our reality. Take an extra second to think. 


16.Giving yourself the love/attention/value you seek from others is the key to being open to actually receiving the love you seek. 


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The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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