Last weekend I celebrated my 35th birthday. To mark this I decided to share 10 life lessons I have learned in those 35 years.

10 life lessons

1. Chocolate is always the answer. For example, stressed at work? Chocolate. Partner problems? Chocolate? Roof leaking? Chocolate under an umbrella!

2. Laughter is brilliant. If you can find a way to laugh about it then do so.

3. You will never be exactly the right shape! I’ve been thin, scarily thin, curvaceous and bordering on downright chubby (on years where chocolate came up a lot as the answer). On none of these occasions did I look in the mirror and think perfect.

4. You will always love your parents, no matter what, and believe me I’ve had this theory tested.

5. Relationships are hard work, marriages even harder. Once the shiny pink sheen of newness has worn of, being faced by the same person day in day out is tough. You will discover levels of irritation that you didn’t even realise existed.

6. Being happy is ambition enough. I’ve spent a fair chunk of my time and energy trying to figure out what I want from my life. I’ve come to the conclusion that the best path is the one which leads to happiness above all else. Now when I consider an option my first consideration is will this make me and my family happy, if not however desirable it appears it’s not for me.

7. Children are amazing! Having children has enriched my life more than I could have ever imagined. They’ve given me purpose, patience, perspective and positivity (oh the four p’s of parenting, how very self help book of me). Watching a person grow from a helpless baby into a small person with ideas, personality, and quirks is fascinating and brilliant.

8. Find your talent, it’ll make you happy. Discovering a passion for writing and specifically blogging has added to my happiness massively. I believe that everybody has a talent, and trying lots of new things is a good way to find it. Don’t waste energy wishing you were good at something you wish you were good at, instead find the thing you ARE good at, it will be worth it.

9. You are what you eat. It’s a cliche but when I eat bad food I feel bad, it’s that simple. Try to eat unprocessed, whole foods as much as possible and you will feel better. I aim for a 90-10 ratio in favour of good foods each day. In case you were wondering r.e. point one choose good chocolate.

10. You are your own best advocate and caretaker. I have wasted time thinking that someone else will take care of me when at the end of the day the only person who can ultimately ensure my own happiness is me. Other people will help, and it’s a lot easier to be helped once you’re on board with this concept. So figure out what you need to be well and happy and take care of yourself, then you can be a better friend, mother, partner because you will be well.