Kathleen RonayneVerified account

Today is my 30th birthday, and it's a hell of a time to reach a milestone. I'm sharing this tweet, which struck me several months ago, and which is only more relevant during the pandemic. And I want to share a few of the most important things I learned in my 20s.https://twitter.com/JessicaValenti/status/1212108595493396480 …

Self worth--you deserve it every day. I spent way too much time in my 20s (and teens) self hating. I used to be so terrified of being bad at my job, that I'd come home and refuse to let myself be happy, which in turn negatively affected (and cost me) some relationships.

Only once I finally decided I had self worth--every day no matter what--did the fear, panic, anxiety begin to meaningfully fade.

Don't hide. I certainly had a tendency to just hide from my shame. You have to confront it, directly. The more we hide, the worse the shame becomes, the worse we feel.

Vulnerability is powerful. I thought I understood vulnerability, but I was wrong. It has to be practiced and experienced first hand. It is scary--and you probably need to figure out the self worth part first--but it will make your relationships so much more meaningful.

Both @BreneBrown and @IAmMarkManson have written/spoken about vulnerability, and I strongly recommend reading/listening to them. This tweet from Mark Manson sums up the last two points brilliantly:https://twitter.com/iammarkmanson/status/1213479702192697344?s=11 …

Progress is not linear and we are not perfect. I spent a lot of my early 20s asking myself: "If I have the ability to hit a home run, why can't I do it every time?" Life that doesn't work that way.