They say that, with age, the mind and soul grow wiser. In my eighteen years on Earth, I have experienced, learned, and grown. I have grown through many trials that didn't always end in success. I have met amazing people. I have matured into a young adult.
Although, in the grand scheme of it all, 18 years isn't all that much, but it's plenty enough time to experience the hardship - and rewards - that life has to offer.
Here are 18 things I have learned by the time I turned 18:
1. It's OK to take your time. Don't rush anything.
This took quite some time for me to learn; I have always been the impatient type. But as I progressed my way through my high school years (mainly), I came to realize that good things take time. Nothing good comes quickly - or easily for that matter. It takes time for things to fall into place.
2. Friendships come and go.
Don't get me wrong, I do not regret meeting and/or growing a bond with any one of my previous friends, but in retrospect, some relationships are better left in the past. Throughout my years of schooling, I have been able to come across many people that I have (at least once) grown close to. Yet, just as much as I have come across those people, I have lost or left many friendships behind. And that's okay! People are meant to grow together and apart. I've learned that is perfectly okay to let yourself grow - even if that means leaving a friend behind. Friends are amazing (and I value the friendships I have very much), but they aren't everything.
3. Not everyone will like you, but that's okay.
Ever since I was little, I wanted every single person I met to like me. I always spent time worrying about what a certain classmate or teacher thought of me, and if there was the littlest sign of dislike, I would freak out. This enabled me to put my self-worth in the hands of others - which is NEVER a good thing. However, I have come to terms that not every single person in the world is going to enjoy my presence. Not everyone is going to want to be my best friend. But that doesn't make me (or anyone else) less of a good person.
4. High school isn't your life, it's just a small portion of it.
I absolutely loved high school (give or take a few semester), but I found myself not wanting to let go of it and allow myself to go on to bigger and better things. Change is scary, and it left me not wanting to grow up. However, I learned that high school is just a minuscule part of life. Yeah, it was great, but it isn't my (or your) whole life.
5. College is scary but rewarding.
I started taking college classes at the age of 13 due to enrolling into an early college program, so I will be the first one to tell you how scary it was to walk on a college campus for the first. However, without taking that first step, I wouldn't be where I am today in my schooling. Yes, college is hard and overwhelming, but it will open up so many great opportunities.
6. Be kind to everyone you meet.
Everyone is fighting their own battle, so it doesn't hurt to be nice to them. No matter what the circumstance, both parties will feel better afterward. Hey, you never know how far kindness will actually go. A simple smile could make a strangers day much brighter.
8. Allow yourself to speak up.
I have always been known as the "quiet girl". Up until my senior year of high school, I would live by the rule of "be seen, not heard". To my younger self, it felt easier that way. I wouldn't get in anyone's way, or Heaven forbid, make a fool of myself. However, the quieter and more introverted I became, the more I allowed people to run over me. So, over time, I started to allow myself to speak up more and more; I let my voice be heard and I stopped allowing people to belittle me.
9. There's no such thing as a dumb question.
It's be said so many times, especially in classrooms. "There is no such thing as a dumb question." Well, I learned this to be true. There's no reason to refrain yourself from learning and/or getting help just because you are scared someone might find you dumb for asking. It just makes everything ten times harder on yourself.
10. Make sure to spend quality time with your family.
Time goes fast. Like, really fast. Days, weeks, years. They all can pass by in a blink of an eye, and it is easy to find yourself getting lost in the rush of life. However, it's best to remember the fact that we are all aging and we aren't going to be here forever; we aren't promised tomorrow. So, spending quality time with family goes a long way - for both sides.
11. It's OK to not have life completely figured out.
Life is ever changing, as are one's interests and goals. There will come a period of time where I feel like I have everything planned out for my future, and then I wake up one day and realize I don't want to do that anymore. Humans change, plans change - and there's nothing wrong with that. Although it's great to know where I am going, life is more about the journey rather than the destination.
12. Things CAN happen for a reason.
There have been many times when things have not gone my way. I constantly find myself between a rock and a hard place, and although that's just the way life goes, sometimes the failures (and successes) play out the way that they are meant to.
13. Be patient.
Going along with #1, patience is key to a happy and successful life.
14. Allow yourself to be happy.
I have found myself in many situations where I have felt guilty for being happy; like I should pay more attention to the negatives in life. Although this sounds completely dumb, us humans - myself included - tend to romanticize sadness. But a sad life isn't one to dwell on.
15. Procrastinating will hurt you in the long run. Always.
Although there are times where taking a nap sounds way better than writing a research paper for my college course, every single time I have procrastinated, I have found myself regretting it afterward. It just makes everything ten times more difficult.
16. Allow yourself to get lost in things.
It's okay to allow yourself to "get lost" in the things that we love. For instance, I love to get so into painting a piece that I am able to forget everything around me. It allows me to forget all the stresses that come with life and focus on that one, single moment.
17. Do what makes YOU happy.
Allowing others to control your life will only lead to heartache. When it comes to life, I learned that I have to do what I want to in order to be completely at ease. Whether it be choosing my future occupation or even choosing the shade of lipstick I want to wear, I am going to choose what makes me happiest.
18. Be nice to yourself!
I have spent many years being very unpleasant to myself. Degrading my work and ambitions. But I have learned that being nice to myself can be so rewarding and there is no need to be so harsh.
Throughout my 18 years, I have learned from every mistake and/or success, and, as time continues on, I will continue to learn.
