Yesterday I turned 29. I am no longer completely wet behind the ears, nor am I particularly wise or experienced. In no particular order, here are 29 things I’ve learned in my 29 years.

1. Independence is a myth. If you were truly independent you wouldn’t need to shop at the grocery store.

2. Interdependence is a skill. It must be learned and it requires trust.

3. You can always find something to be thankful for.

4. You can always find something to complain about.

5. You never deserve grace and you will always need some.

6. Whether you are working your dream job or an in-between job, work is always required.

7. Kindness costs you nothing but people will remember one kind thing you did for years afterwards.

8. Whatever you nurture grows. You get to decide what you nurture.

9. You always feel better after a good walk/meal/cry/laugh/sleep.

10. There is always more than one way to skin a cat.

11. Even though my support-raising journey is not yet over, I am in the top 5-8% of the world’s richest people.

12. I have more than two friends with whom I can share anything, that makes me the richest person in the world.

13. Jesus did pay it all on the cross, but it’s up to you to cash the cheque.

14. Drying laundry is still one of my favourite smells.

15. You can learn something from everyone you meet.

16. Everybody screws up. Not everybody gets up and tries again though.

17. Three skills I learned at school and still use are:

• cookery
• backing chord charts
• how to write stuff people actually enjoy reading/listening to

18. Three things I learned at university:

• work as part of a team for the benefit of the team
• listen to someone’s story before you challenge their beliefs
• just because you can write a 1,500 word essay in an hour doesn’t mean you should

19. Three things I learned working in a fast food restaurant:

• apologise fast
• winning the person is more important than winning the argument
• smile at someone every day for a year and eventually they’ll smile back

20. The most powerful forces in the world: God’s love, prayer, your thoughts

21. God can breathe life into anything as long as you give it to Him.

22. Achieving what you want more often signals the beginning of the work rather than the end of it.

23. What looks like the end of the world today you may thank God for tomorrow.

24. Everyone has a remarkable story. Unless you ask the right questions, you may not get to hear it.

25. There is always hope.

26. Everybody gets hurt. It’s how you respond that defines you.

27. You are never too old. You are never too young.

28. People can change, but only they can do it.

29. God’s love is accessible to everyone, you get to decide how much of it you experience.