july 22

Another trip around the sun, might be hundreds, might be one.
I guess I hit that mid-twenties mark today. Officially 25 and feeling it. I don't know what the point of this video was, but eh, here we are!
25 things by 25
1. I have so much left to learn. I am learning every single day just how uninformed and misinformed I have been. I am learning about the complicated nuances that come with living in a global society. I am learning what I believe in and how I value things. I am learning about myself, other people and history. I hope to learn how to make an impact. I hope I learn how to foster positive change.
2. I will be a new person every year. If I look back at 16-year-old me, or 21 or 23-year-old me, they are all very different people, and while they all hold value, I am so grateful to evolve and develop into someone stronger and more compassionate.
3. Nothing I do will please everyone. My experiences and values determine my actions, and those who have had different experiences are not always going to agree with my choices. Diversity in opinions is okay, and I may as well focus on improving myself and my community.
4. Community is important. I've moved a lot, and therefore I struggle to build and maintain strong connections or meaningful friendships. Having a place in the nerdfighter community is valuable.
5. Breaking and rebuilding habits take time. I am hard on myself when it comes to bad habits and retraining addictive behaviours. I need to be patient.
6. Reality is subjective. We are all living only inside our heads, with only our experiences. Our reality is subjective, there is no one "real world".
7. We are all healing. I used to think we were all broken, and that's why we lashed out towards others,, but I think, in reality, it's that we are all healing from pain. We've been convinced that happiness means "life without suffering", so we try to heal our pain without realizing that its part of life's reality.
8. Clear communication is necessary. It feels like recently we have lost the "expert" and the internet has allowed for misinformation to spread at exponential speeds, breeding a huge collection of "I know all" experts. It's like people are afraid to say "I don't know".
9. College is a scam, we are paying for a piece of paper that has little value left in the workforce. A college diploma is expected for entry-level positions, and it's nearly impossible to find employment in a livable wage without one. Additionally, with the course work moving online but tuition not being reduced, I am effectively paying 3x what a masterclass membership would cost for one semester of similar learning. It's a lose-lose issue for someone who can't afford to go to college.
10. Network is more valuable than skills in the job market. In every position I have held, moving forward or being hired had more to do with who you knew, than your qualifications for the position, with the sometimes exception of fast food or low-end retail.
11. Money is a game, where if you are born into the winning team, it's easy to keep winning. If you aren't born with that privilege, it is something you will spend your entire life struggling for.
12. Friendship is a two-way street. Making and maintaining friendships in adulthood is one of the biggest challenges of my twenties, and it's not really ever discussed or talked about.
13. Lower your expectations of other people. They do not owe you anything and having high expectations only leads to disappointment.
14. Parent's aren't always right.
15. You're not the only one affected by your actions.
16. Independence is bittersweet. I love my freedom and independence, but I never expected or intended for that move to severe the relationship I had with my mother. One of the hardest things about independence is the isolation and loneliness that comes with it, and the feeling of being entirely responsible for everything, without having a community of support nearby. I lost a close relationship because of distance, and a TON of supports because it's hard to understand that community feeling when you're two provinces apart.
17. Love will make you a fool. I feel in love three times. MK, DP, CM. I still love those women, and a small part of me always will.
18. Stay vulnerable after heartbreak. Other people making the best choice for them should not be the reason you close your heart and become cold to the world. Your biggest strength is letting people know how much they mean to you.
19. Real growth happens after ugly shit. I grew up a lot in 2013. I grew up a lot in 2016. I grew up a lot in 2019. Always after the hard years.
(LIST FINISHED In COMMENTS)
Intro, Logo and end card made with Placeit
Editing Software HD Movie Maker Pro
Background Music
I'm losing you - Royalty-Free Music by audiohub.com
License: CC BY (creativecommon...)
Dying Sun - Royalty-Free Music by audiohub.com
License: CC BY (creativecommon...)

[@nualareilly8924]

Absolutely beautiful video. ❤️❤️❤️

[@lorinickle9640]

That was a beautiful video !!

[@rigoanthonyperez2880]

I love your spirit and everything you embrace from your past to present.

[@SortofSober]

20. Sex is awesome, masturbation is mandatory.
I feel like we don't talk about women and masturbation enough to normalize it, but what a stress reliever.
21. Rest is important and selfless
. I often feel guilty about resting too much or too often, and need to remind myself that having a disability makes it harder to just show up than for other people.
22. Taking responsibility lets you learn.
Don't run away from the fear of being called out or taking accountability and responsibility for your mistakes. You learn and grow from these.
23. It's okay to question things!
Things are quite literally broken, and it is not indefensible to want to question or change the social construct of things, especially when they aren't working.
Happy birthday to me.