5 Things I’ve Changed my Mind About as I’ve Gotten Older (and some of your responses, too)

This post was sponsored by Reebok as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

So naturally there are a lot of things I’ve changed my mind about as I’ve matured and learned more (some very menial like not being preppy anymore and some very serious like political stances), but I thought I would share 5 very random things that came to mind! I asked you guys on Instagram about things you’ve changed your mind on, and I loved seeing your responses! Here are a handful of my favorites…

“I am starting to slowly make the change to healthier beauty products”

“What I value in friendships has been a huge shift for me”

“Sneakers with dresses, children, bigger homes being better”

“Fully embracing my curly hair!”

“Artificial sweeteners vs. natural sweeteners...accepting the calories as better for me”

“Believing ‘authority figures’ know best (e.g. doctors, parents, bosses, etc.)”

“Christianity”

“Eating things like soy and canola oil that were once touted as healthy”

“Liking country music!”

Okay, now here are a few of mine…

Wanting a Nose Job

My first year out of college I was actually meeting with a doctor about getting rhinoplasty. Two nose breaks (one as a kid and one in college thanks to my dog Lulu) have left me with a deviated septum and somewhat stuffy nose most of the time. However, my main motivation was that I have a fairly large nose (thanks Dad!) and I also have a bit of a “beak” now thanks to the breaks. At that time of my life my nose was probably my biggest insecurity and I absolutely loathed it and couldn’t wait to have a different nose. However, over the course of that year Trey and I got engaged and decided to buy a house, so my life savings went to a down payment instead of to my nose (thank you Jesus for good timing). Nearly six years removed and I’m actually really glad I didn’t go through with it. Do I still lust after a cute, scoopy nose instead of my dad’s nose? Well, yes. But it’s my nose and I’ve grown to accept it and move on (with the help of some light contouring haha).

Will I change my mind again in the future? Who knows! But for now, I’m focusing on accepting me for “me,” and putting our money toward travel and our futures rather than aesthetics!

PS - I have nothing against plastic surgery and think you should do you!

Quality vs. Quantity of Friendships

In college and in my sorority I would witness these huge groups of girlfriends that looked SO fun. For some reason I just didn’t quite fit into them and it used to bother me. Nearly everyone was so nice, they just weren’t my best friends, you know? I wondered why I didn’t have gobs of friends. Fast forward several years and I've learned that it's not the quantity of friends you have that matters (although if you have lots of good friends that's amazing), but the quality instead. I may only have a few friends that I keep close, but I value them so much and know they will always have my back and I will have theirs! At the end of the day I only need that small circle I trust 100%.

That Sneakers and Flats are Both Stylish and Flattering

If you told 23-year-old Jacy that 27-year-old Jacy would be more into sneakers and flats than into heels my jaw would have dropped to the floor!

I used to be allll about heels. Heels to work every day, heeled sandals to dinner, heeled ankle boots to a football game. I think I wanted to make a statement everywhere I went, and I desperately wanted my legs to look longer and thinner. Now don't get me wrong, I still love and wear heels (especially ankle boots), but my love of flats and sneakers has really grown in the past year or so and I've found they can be super flattering and stylish.

Maybe it's because I've relaxed a bit as a person and may it's because I'm busier than ever, but I want a more chill, low maintenance, comfortable vibe lately while still being fashion-forward (because I will always love fashion). One of my favorite ways to get this look is by pairing a dress or skirt with a pair of sneakers. In this outfit I'm wearing my new pair of Reebok Classics (don't you love all of the old trends making a comeback??) and I love that they're crazy comfortable but also stylish. There's something to be said about a cool and classic sneaker. This pair can take me from a skirt or dress to an athleisure look in a breeze, which is exactly the ease I need these days between my job and side hustles and travel. Versatility is key! If you love the look of Reebok Classics too, be sure to check out the selection at DSW.

Wanting to Live in a Huge City

I’ve always been more of a city girl, and going into college I planned to move to LA or NYC post-college to do fashion PR. Naturally the total opposite panned out; I happened to find my soulmate in college and now we live in a large town/very small city in Missouri.

Even in our first couple years of marriage I still had that longing for big city life and we talked about moving, but the older I’m getting the less appealing it is to me. There’s something to be said for lower housing prices, little to no traffic, and being close to family. That being said, I still love the energy, the fashion, the food scene, the architecture and diversity of big cities and will always love to visit! And while I would love to live somewhere a little bigger and more cultured than we do now, I just don’t think I want to live in a huge city anymore as we get closer to starting a family. However, I’m always open to whatever the future holds and wherever we may end up!

Eating [Healthy] Fats

I used to avoid these like the plague (even though they were healthy) because they were so calorie dense, but now I try to incorporate them into multiple meals and snacks every day! My focus used to be all about eating low calorie foods, but now I know that eating nutritious, satiating foods is actually the key (you can read about my journey to healthy relationship with food here)! And, healthy fats actually keep you full (and feeling calm and steady)! I now put a clean nut butter in my smoothies, I cook my eggs in ghee, I snack on almonds and cheeses, I incorporate multiple avocados each week, and I no longer shy away from cooking with avocado and olive oils. My skin and hair look better than ever, and I feel better too.

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What’s something you’ve changed your mind about as you’ve gotten older? Leave a comment below!