Every year of my life, I’ve learned something new. I may not remember everything, but somehow I carry that learned thing with me today. By the time this gets published, I would've already turned 19. But as my birthday approached, I started to think about what exactly what I’ve learned, and here it is:
1. Mother knows best.
All those times I complained when my mother told me to wear a jacket because it was cold and then I didn't, I instantly regretted it because it was super cold outside. You know you can never tell your mother, because you have too much pride. Listen to your mother, people, she knows what she's talking about. She's lived on this Earth way longer than you.
2. Friends come and go.
Friends are like seasons; they’re always changing. Now I’m not saying there are not some friends who stick with you until the end, but many times you find yourself missing two handfuls of friends after you graduate either high school or college. I’m not saddened by this; it just made room for newer and better friends!
3. Strength comes from within you.
If I searched for strength from an inanimate object or from someone else, I would’ve never been able to find comfort in the person I am now. I would still be crying over every little thing, and I wouldn’t have been able to move on and leave the past behind me. It took me a while to find my strength but in the end, I did, and I’m so happy I did.
4. Pain builds character.
Even though it’s a terrible feeling, pain is something that needs to be felt. If I was always happy, I wouldn’t have been able to learn from my struggles and from the pain I've endure. Referring back to number three, pain allows you to become stronger, because after experiencing that pain, you learned you never wanted to feel that way again, so you removed yourself from that painful situation.
5. Create your own happiness.
If you keep looking to someone to make you happy, you’re never going to be fully happy. When I depended on other people to make me happy, I was miserable because when they would leave, I’d be down in the dumps because I was alone. Happiness comes from within. Something that my sister has written on her board in her room is "smile." I think that’s a perfect way to find happiness. If you don’t think about your stress and just take a moment to breath and smile, I believe you can accomplish happiness
6. Don't worry what people say about you.
People will talk about you no matter what, so I’ve learned not to stress when people talk badly about me. Think about it, you must be really important for people to feel the need to talk about you when you’re not even in the same room as them. People only talk badly about someone when they're jealous; I've learned to take gossip as a compliment, not an insult
7. Family is everything.
My mother and my sister are my absolute world! I couldn’t imagine my life without the two of them. Where my friends fail, my family is always there for me. Family is the only thing when it comes to association with you that doesn’t end in “end.” (boyfriend, girlfriend, friend, and husband [close enough]) Family ends in “ily,” and in text-talk that means “I love you.” Always show love, respect and honor to your family, because they’ll always be there for you.
8. School is very important.
I wish I paid a lot more attention in school, because I constantly struggle to grasp the easiest math problems, and it always leaves feeling inadequate and behind when compared to my class. Study, people! You won't regret it.
9. You can't always get what you want.
No matter how many times you beg and plead, you can't get your way every single time, you just can't. Nobody said life was easy, nor did they say it was fair, so stop trying to constantly get your way; it won't work.
10. You don't need a man to survive.
Like my mother always said, “Men were there before you were born; men will be there after you die.” I no longer feel the need to be in a relationship to define who I am. I’ve realized that I'm stronger on my own, and I enjoy my independence.
11. You are the deciding factor of your future.
No one can decide what you’re going to do with your life, except for you. You decide whom you want to be with, what you want to do and where you go in life; don’t listen to anyone else's opinions but your own.
12. Sleep is important.
The countless days I've stayed up until every hour of the night is ridiculous. I miss when I was 7 years old, and my mom would tell me to go to bed at 8 p.m. I miss my eight or more hours of sleep; now I'm lucky if I get four.
13. Don't be so quick to leave the past behind.
Sure, you did some messed up things in the past, but that doesn't mean you have to ignore the past entirely. Take it for what it was.
14. You can't live for anyone but yourself.
Stop trying to please everyone, because it's actually impossible. Don't worry about who's upset about a decision among friends. Only care about your decision and move on.
15. No one is perfect.
You can try your hardest to look like someone, but the truth of the matter is you'll never look like them, and that's OK. The idea of perfection is flawed, and we need to stop praising thigh gaps and learn to love your curves. You're amazing just the way you are.
16. Karma exists.
If you think you can do something without something happening to you, you're dead wrong. Every action has a reaction; be careful what you do in your life.
17. Trust your gut.
If your gut is telling you to do or not do something, do it! You have that feeling in your stomach for a reason; don't just think it's nothing and ignore it. Embrace it.
18. Money goes as quickly as it comes.
Having two jobs and somehow always having a negative balance in my bank account has shown me that everything is super expensive, and money disappears so quickly.
19. It's gets better.
Finally, out of everything I've learned, this is the most important lesson I've learned. Through everything I've been through, remembering that the pain I felt was just temporary and helped me believe that one day, things will eventually get better. No matter what you might be going through or what you might be feeling, things get better. I'm not saying it gets better right away, but it does and will get better. Keep your head up.
