18 Important Things I've Learned in 18 Years

I turned 18 on July 16th and I just felt like I should share with you some of the important things I've learned over the last 18 years of my life.

1. Only having a 3 or 4 close friends who you can trust, and count on is okay. It is much better than having a bunch of fake friends who talk bad about you when your not in the room.
2. Reading your Bible in the mornings is ABSOLUTELY necessary. Starting your day off with scripture is so refreshing, and it gives you something new to learn and think about everyday.
3. Making mistakes is okay. We are human, and we are going to mess up sometimes. If you make peace with knowing you're going to mess up, that'll just make it easier for you to learn and grow from it.
4. Be kind. Be nice to people whether you are having a good day or a bad day, even if they are being rude to you. If you are kind, people will remember you.
5. Have Patience. "Good things come to those who wait.". This is something that i've come to terms with recently. Eventually, everything will come to fruition, and you'll realize that you're exactly where you always wanted to be. God works in mysterious ways, so instead of being hungry for the next big thing, enjoy where He's placed you right now, because it's exactly where you are suppose to be. God knows the desires in your heart, be patient, pray about it, & let Gods plan lay out.
6. Step out of your comfort zone. Apply for that internship, or that new job. Try a new food at your favorite restaurant, or doing something spontaneous with your friends. Live your life everyday, and have fun. The things that you didn't do are going to be the things you really regret when you get older.
7. Take LOTS of pictures. Capture as many moments in life as you can.
8. Work hard. Being able to pay for the things that you want and need all on your own feels so great. It's a feeling of accomplishment, knowing you can do things all on your own.
9. Be yourself and don't change for anybody. Not for a friend, or a boss, or a boy. You stay true to who you really are, and the people who really care about you will accept you no matter what.
10. God shuts doors for a reason. If you didn't get accepted into your dream college, or got a call back from that job, or a close friend walked out of your life, learn from it. God's plan is better than your own.
11. Drama is unnecessary. Drama is nothing but negativity holding you back. Steer clear of it, & don't create it for attention. You could end up hurting others more than yourself because of it.
12. Do what makes you happy. Don't let other people shoot your ideas down. Make your decisions confidently, unapologetically & be proud of them.
13. Always be there for people you care about. It sucks when you need someone to talk to & no one is there. So be the person who is always there for someone to rest their head on.
14. Learn to Love wholeheartedly. Love God. Love your mom & your dad. Love your brothers & your sisters. Love your best friends, & your acquaintances. Love everyone with every fiber in your body.
15. Be Intentional. If it's with your coworkers, or students in your youth group, just be a presence in their lives. Give them something to look forward to when they see you
16. Never turn yourself into a victim. Even if bad things happen to you, you still have the power to react. Don't sit around feeling sorry for yourself, because once you do that you stop believing in yourself. You have the power to stand up & start making change.
17. Have peace with your past. We all have skeletons, things we regret doing, & things we wish we could change. I just want to make it clear that, no matter how hard you try, you can't change the past. What happened, happened. Forgive yourself, accept it, learn from it, & grow from
18. Be Willing. I was apart of an Internship over this summer & one of the biggest things they taught us is that we needed to be willing. Be willing to do anything, everything, & nothing. Anything they asked of us, everything they asked of us, & if there was nothing left to do, we needed to be willing to rest & hang out. I think this also applies to your life. Whether it's at home, at work, or at school. Just be willing.