Hey guys, Welcome and welcome back to the podcast where your friends Maddie and
Lauren, and we are back for another episode. Today is my birthday.
It's also our final video episode. But let's go back to my birthday because
that's obviously more important. You can see that I'm wearing a red boat and
I did promise birthday merch or like what do you call it, like a
something special, you know, a special piece or like a crown or something,
but unfortunately we don't have anything, so I just have this boa.
But I had to make do. That's from the Harry Styles concert. I
actually was wondering that, Lauren. I was thinking it could be from Harry
Styles. That is true. So we have a very special episode this week.
And okay, Lauren's microphone and oh yes it is. So we have
a very special episode this week. This is definitely a tradition at this point.
We do this every year. Basically. It's things I've learned at this
age, the age that I just passed. I guess I realized, but
I think we only do this for your birthday. Yeah, I actually was
thinking that as well, like I don't remember, you know, seventeen things
I learned at seventeen, right, But I think it's because you're older and
wiser, right, so you know you're always learning every year. But since
I'm old now, we're going to do things I've learned rather than twenty six
things I learned, because that's just too many things. Also, I fear
that these are repetitive. But then I was thinking it doesn't really actually matter,
because you also kind of learn the same sort of things every year,
just more in depth for sure. And I feel like you experienced new things
every year that like solidify the lessons you learned the year before, right exactly.
So I think we should just get into it. Well, should we
do a brief life update? Ibe? You can talk about any birthday plans
you have, any birthday plans you had, Well, okay, I'll give
you a little run down of what we did last night. So we went
for dinner at Chateau Marmont, which is a hotel that actually had really been
wanting to go to. It was very nice and cute, and then we
went to Soho house. Well Lauren didn't come, but she had went to
John's new house, which we can talk about that whole thing another time,
but she yeah, when we went to Soho house and then we all met
up and went to a club. We went had a night out, which
is really funny. Our entire family, which was an experience. Our parents
went to the club and they were like, we'll stay for like fifteen twenty
minutes. They stayed until one thirty in the morning. I'm like, okay,
it's been two hours. They would have stayed all night. I think
so too. They were having a great time. They fully would have stayed
all night. So it was really funny. Definitely not something that's ever happened
before, which was really fun and like just fun for a birthday. I
would say, I don't really have many plans today. It's also a hurricane
if you can see it in the back, but it's Hurricane Hillary. So
we're not doing much today. Yeah, so far, it's just been a
lot of rain here in LA. But I am going to downtown LA to
move into my hotel. If you haven't heard, yeah, if you haven't
listened to our past few episodes, I'm living in a hotel instead of an
apartment for the first few weeks of the school year because my building is under
construction. So I'm moving into the hotel today. And then I start school
tomorrow. Pretty summer's over. Yep. Well, we'll give you a better
life update in future episodes, just because Lauren's got to move into her her
place today and the weather's bad, so we have to get right into this
one. But we'll give you the full update in a couple of weeks.
Also, you'll have more to share about school. Yeah. I honestly feel
like that's pretty much the update for me as of recently. But I think
this next week will be pretty eventful for me. Great looking forward to hearing
about it. All right, let's get into the things that I learned.
At twenty six. I've given us nine things to discuss. I feel like
that's a good, good number, all right. Number one, this is
something that we actually have discussed recently on the podcast. Growth really only comes
from uncomfortable situations, so you kind of always have to be seeking discomfort,
which is a weird concept because I think by nature, humans want to be
as comfortable as possible. But you just have to do things that aren't in
your nature, for example, like making social media content. I feel like
for both of us, it's not really in our nature to be like,
you know, have this like big, loud, outgoing personality into like to
your camera and then also like feel like you want to share a lot that's
not really in our nature. But if it's uncomfortable, that means it's something
you actually should like lean into rather than move away from. Right, And
I think there's a difference between like discomfort that you won't grow from, yeah,
versus discomfort that you will. And I think normally you know the difference,
like when you're try it, you know whether this is a situation that
you just don't want to be in because it's not good for you, it's
not going to benefit you in any way. You're just uncomfortable, or whether
it's discomfort that is pushing you out of your comfort zone that you will then
learn from and then the next time you experience it it won't be so uncomfortable.
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, Like don't do things that you know are
wrong, for example, but put yourself in situations where you're like, I
will be better on the other side of this, or this can benefit me
in some way. It's usually the situations that you know are right but are
uncomfortable, like unfamiliar to you for sure. Next one, I feel like
when it comes to working out, eating healthy, like living a healthy lifestyle.
The less you obsess and think about it, the better you feel,
which makes sense. But I feel like for so long there was like all
these well this influencers and everyone was pushing something and you feel like you have
to, you know, eat this certain food or I don't know. I
just feel like it was like overhyped. And I'm very interested in health as
a whole. But I just feel like you can kind of do whatever works
for you. Like if you, I think, what are we saying about
working out? Yeah, like if you want to walk and you're going to
walk every day, then that works for you. That's great. You don't
have to do a workout that you see online. There's also no plan that's
gonna like make a huge change for you. You have to just do what
you want to do. Like I just get caught up with like, you
know, people selling stuff that looks nice and it's all marketing, honestly,
Like you know what to do and just like don't overcomplicate things. I also
feel like the issue with following trends and then looking at influencers like wellness influencers
online is that the workout routine that they're following, and the diet that they
are following won't necessarily generate the same results for you as I would for them.
Like, I think so much of all of that is genetic. What
makes you feel good, what makes you look the way you want to look.
And I think that the best way to get into wellness and to keep
yourself healthy is by doing things that you genuinely enjoy or sustainable and you find
work for you. You're like Satyle and just like think about it less.
Like I think a lot of girls, especially get consumed by self image and
like the things that they need to do to look a certain way. But
in my experience, the less I think about stuff like that, the easier
it is, Like I just like, don't I just have less pressure?
Or like I care less about that, which is definitely something that happens when
you get older, Like you care less about things that you used to care
about, and you accept things about yourself, which I think is a cool
thing. And I think it just continues as you age and you care care
less about what everyone else is doing, which is great. Number Three I
think I've learned this year. I admire and I think it's cool when people
have opinions and values that they stick to, and I feel like it shows
confidence, Like if you're not easily swayed because you know yourself and you're yeah,
like you just like don't really care what everyone else is doing because you
know what to do. I think that that's cool. I think that's cool
even when they're different than yours, Like even if someone has the complete opposite
opinion to me, if they are firm inute, I think that that's respectable.
Yeah. And also my next one is everyone should listen more Like,
I think it's really easy, especially if you're in like an argument situation,
like not an argument, but like a debate, and you have different strong
opinions, you just like are preparing for your next argument instead of being like,
okay, let's probably meet in the middle on this, Like you know,
you can learn from everyone, even if they have different opinions than you,
and usually that everyone's a little bit more moderate than they lead on,
you know, but you can find the middle ground exactly by talking find things
that you agree on. Yeah, And I think it's interesting that you say
that because that's something that so many older people say. Have you ever seen
those videos? It's like advice from an eighty year old or even like something
that Dad and his friends would say is like listen more. You can learn
from the people around you. You already know everything you have to say.
Yeah, Dad always says that it's true. Like, I think that's definitely
something that changes as you get older, like you're less. It's like you're
confident in what you believe, and you're like, I don't need to,
like, you know, rush to say the next thing, Like I can
just relax and calm down, and I know I'll be able to share what
I want to share. Yeah, I just think listening is really good.
So that was my fourth one number five. Five kiddies are all kind of
similar. But I said, no argument or situation is one percent one person's
faults. Like, I think the ability to admit faults is a great characteristic,
especially in like relationships or friendships where you at first are like, oh,
it's one hundred percent that person's fault, like they did this to me.
But if you're able to look at your contribution to any situation, which
there always is something right, Like, I think it's very rare that it's
one one person's fault. And I think if you're able to recognize that.
It's great because it's also really like the only thing that you can control is
your own actions and reactions to things. And I think that admitting that you
are partially at fault might actually help you, like help you and the friend
move forward from sure, Like if you could admit this wasn't entirely your fault,
I am partly to blame for this, then maybe you can talk about
it. I think also a lot of people don't want to be the first
person to like initiate the apology or like initiate the resolution of an argument.
But the person that's able to do that, I think has the most peace,
you know, like they're not stirring with all these negative emotions and like
problems. They're like, I need to move on from this, so let's
just get a solution, like find a solution here. Yeah. And also
I think that if you're in a situation where you're like, no, this
is one hundred percent their fault, honestly, part of it might be that
you have you are, like feel very strongly about something that they don't,
and they don't even realize how much doing something would hurt you because they don't
share that same value, or they don't feel as strongly about it, you
know what I mean, Yeah for sure. Yeah, and that at that
point you just have to either accept people for who they are and be like
okay, or move on and don't be friends with them anymore. There's a
lot of things about someone that you can't really change. You can try to
communicate what you feel strongly about and hope that they will kind of learn from
that and be sensitive to that. But if not, then yeah, you
have to either accept them or move on. Yeah, and you're responsible for
yourself, Like people can do things to you, like they can do like
have an action, but they can't make you feel any certain way. Like
you're responsible for your emotions. So I think that just account like being accountable
and owning that and being like instead of being like a victim. You know,
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six. I just have learned or thought about this concept that I brought up
on the podcast before, that when you're well. For me at least,
when I finished school, I was like, I have no clue what I
want to do, But you're looking forward and it's like I'm picturing like open
space where there's no clear path, right, But then when you look back,
everything makes sense. So I feel like this just continues life, Like
you can't plan things really Like I used to be such a goal setter and
I still am. But it's hard to set goals when you don't really know
what you're doing and you're kind of just like figuring it out as you go.
But I really do think. I know, we don't think things happen
for a reason, but I think that things will work out. I always
say that too. I don't believe everything happens for a reason. I don't
believe there's like a predetermined path for me. But I feel like nothing is
the end of the world. Really, like you will get through everything and
then you'll look back on it and be like it wasn't as big of a
deal as I thought it was. Nothing is really that important. And it's
so easy to give advice, like if somebody else is freaking out about something,
I can say that to them, But then when you're in the situation,
it's a lot harder. And also, I was thinking, or I
told you this. One of my friends says like she has this mentality that
bad things don't happen to her. She's like, that would never happen to
me. I'm like, how do you even know that? She's like,
I just know that would never happen to me, Like I just know,
And having that sort of confidence. Maybe it's delusional confidence, but I think
that that really, like it's true, like it bad things don't happen her
because she just doesn't believe that they will. Or if she isn't a bad
situation, she reframes it, right. I think that is a big part
of it too, Like maybe some of it is like speaking it into existence.
I don't know if I believe all of that, but I think part
of it is that she never feels the way that someone else in the same
situation, the same bad situation might because she has more optimistic take on things,
or she'll just find a way to see it as like an opportunity for
growth or learning. And you get to choose how you experience life. You
know, you get to choose your outcome or you're not your outcome. But
like how a situation affects you, I guess back to the last point,
Like you can choose to live a life where you're affected by things and like
you are down and negative, or you can choose to be optimistic and see
things as a learning lesson. Like obviously everyone has hard things happen to them,
some more than others, but the actual thing doesn't really matter. That
much. It all is the scale of what it means to you, Right,
So if you've not had terrible things happen to you, then the most
terrible thing feels just as bad as someone else's terrible thing, Like it doesn't
really matter. So anyways, I don't even know what my point was.
Oh, you can't plan your life. Yeah, you can't plan your life,
but just like take things as as they come. And I think it's
also good to look back and be like, Okay, that all worked out,
and I know that the rest is going to work out instead of getting
stressed beause a lot of people, young people get stressed, which I understand
because there's just so much uncertainty. I remember even feeling that way about things
that are so insignificant, like a test, Like, oh my god,
if I, for example, in grade twelve, I'm like, every test
matter so much because if I do badly on this, I'm not going to
get into a good university, and it's it was the end of the world,
and it's like, yeah, I didn't do well in every single test
in grade twelve, but I still got into a university and like it all
worked out. And now I don't even remember what I was stressing over like
everything seems so big in the moment, and then when you get through it,
you might not even remember what it was that you were so worried about.
Yeah, well I can't remember anything that I stressed out about in high
school. So if that helps anyone. Number seven a little lighter note.
I now like things food items that I used to hate, like pickles.
I used to hate anything pickled, like, okay, you know pickled things.
I hated kombucha because it's like fermented. Hated anything like that. But
now I really like kombucha. I love coconut water. Pickles. Olives to
me were the most disgusting thing ever. I wouldn't eat an olive probably,
but like, they're not bad. I'd like to know what your journey with
much of this was. Sometimes I'm encouraged to try something and I'm like,
I don't like that. I'll live, but then I'll try it whatever.
I'm like fine, and I'm like, it's actually fine. So then is
it good the first time you've taste it or is it like you have to
eat it a few times and then no, I liked it the first time,
Well, I've tried it many times. I used to hate olives.
I used to hate cherry tomatoes. I wouldn't eat those things, you know,
But pickles, if they're small and not slimy, they're good, like
cornishwans specifically. Everyone's obsessed with pickles now, though, don't you think people
are like, there's a trendy thing. Yeah, but interesting because I was
thinking about training myself to like fish, because I feel like it's kind of
an immature thing not to eat an entire food group. Fish and an oyster
I saw, but I like oysters, and I like oysters and muscles,
and that's about it for seafood. I wouldn't order anything else, right,
But I'm thinking if I like try I had enough times, maybe I'll come
around. But maybe I should just wait until I'm twenty seven, and then
one day I'll wake up in like fish. Well, I think your taste
buds definitely evolve. But you like macha, which is something you never would
have drank two years and now you're obsessed. We have cracked the coat on
the best match ever? Should we tell them? I feel like we should
tell you? Sure? Why not? You can tell? Okay, the
best match ever is I'm a Chamberlain's macha, specifically the Vanillo one, and
we're a bit confused because it doesn't have like added sugar in it. But
it's sweet and if you drink watching, you know that's important because it's quite
bitter and like usually you have to add sugar to make it taste good.
But hermacha is just delicious without the sugar, so good, and then sometimes
we add some anyway, But anyway, that is our match, a recommendation
for you. Not sponsored, but we wish it was. Yeah, maybe
they want to be a podcast sponsor and hit us up Chamberlain Coffee. Okay,
next two are very simile, so I'll just kind of combine this.
I think it's very easy for people to think that you are nice, hard
worker, you know, things like that, Like you don't really have to
do much for people to think that you're nice, especially in La. I
don't know if it's an l a thing because people here are just generally not
very friendly, but I've gotten recently people are like, you're so nice.
I'm like, that really wouldn't be the word I would use to describe myself
to strangers, because usually I just like don't really care to put in so
much effort. Like, I'm not we're not warm. We've said that,
yeah, we're not warm. But if I so the specific person I've seen
a couple of times, now, you know she's around, so I'm going
to be nice to her obviously, like I'm going to see her again.
I don't like go out of my way to make friends people that I probably
will never meet again. But for her, I'm like, yeah, of
course I want to be nice to her, but I'm not even being that
nice. And I'm like, you think that I'm nice. She's like saying
many times that I'm very nice. Interesting, so part of that might be
an LA think because a lot of people here are very nice, because people
are so rude here, Like every girl that I meet in Toronto, yeah,
is like friendly. I mean normally I feel like you meet people out
so it's actually that's probably how you meet a lot of people here too.
But everyone's just very friendly and like, we'll talk to you all night whatever.
Here. I think you could be standing next to someone all night and
they could not speak to you. It's so weird. Yeah, nobody is
nice anyway. So I just think that you can really go the extra mile
by putting in a slight bit of effort. The same goes with hard work,
for sure, and I learned this when I worked in an office.
People were like so impressed by very minimal work, things like if I stayed
fifteen minutes late, for example, fifteen minutes after like everyone leaves at five
oh one, like their computers are off at five, They're out of the
door by five out one. I'm sure that's not every single person, but
I'm just saying, if you want to stand out, it's not that hard.
And this is also important because I feel like in school everyone, at
least the schools that we went to, everyone was an overachiever. So I
was like, how will I ever possibly stand out at work? Even in
university, Like all these kids I felt like they were really smart and would
you know know all the answers and everyone worked hard and got good grades.
But in the real world I didn't have that experience, at least from my
experience thus far. And I will say also when I have worked with people,
like for my clothing brand, like people just like don't really care that
much about their work, you know. So I think it's a good thing
to recognize that though, because you really can stand out last thing I'll say
is that's a good perspective change. Like I get really frustrated when things aren't
done right, but then I also try to remind myself and people around me
that it just means that you will stand out more like if you're able things
done, yeah, to stand by your work and you know, get things
on time and all the things that you should be doing, then people will
think that you're exceptional even though you're kind of just doing what you're supposed to
do. I notice the same thing when I acted when I was younger.
I would always be told like, oh, you're such a hard worker,
you're so like mature. But I remember thinking, like, I feel like
I'm acting the way that you should when you're at work, even though I
was young and like I was still having fun. I wasn't that mature,
I'm sure. But there are things that like folding the clothes before I gave
them back to the wardrobe department, for example, that I feel like should
be a given. But because that's not something that everyone does, they see
it as you being so nice and so responsible and such a good worker or
whatever. So there are so many opportunities that you can take to stand out
and a lot of that might just be you acting the way that you know
you should, right instead of like taking the easy way out or like following
everyone else's lead. Right. Well, I feel like this list has been
very intertwined, like all of these things relate to each other. So I
guess that's a good thing. Except for the pickles. That was a random
one. But I guess it means that it's just everything's making sense. I
love when things you know click into place. So true. But yeah,
that is twenty six things, no. Nine things I learned at twenty six.
Sorry, twenty six is just too many, But yeah, I think
we stopped doing the right number, like twenty five a few years ago,
because that makes sense. I'm actually trying to think of twenty six things that
you learned in one year. I just was thinking, you know, quality
over quantity. Yeah, I couldn't make up some random ones more than two
a month. I don't learned that much. Yeah. Well, I hope
you guys enjoyed this one. If you liked it, leave a review on
Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We will be on those platforms only going forward,
with no video because long's going back to school. So hope you enjoyed watching
us on YouTube. Maybe we'll come back in the summer, you know,
see how it goes. But but yeah, that's it for this week's episode.
We'll talk to you next Friday. Bye.