Yes, indeed! Today is my birthday, November 14th.

I have been living on this planet for 19 years now watching our society develop during this technology era and I have got to experience some of life greatest pleasures.

Throughout these past 19 years I have come to realize a lot of things so here it goes,

19 things I have learned by the age of 19:

1. FAMILY OVER EVERYTHING

Seriously. Family should always be your number one priority. One day your mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandma or grandpa won't be around anymore and you will think about talking to them every day but you won't be able to. (Yes, your best friend is considered family if they hang out at your house even when you're not home.)

2. FRIENDS COME SECOND

Your friends are only second to your family. Treat your friends with respect and give them the love you always wished people gave you. I promise if you take care of your friendships, you'll find yourself being a much happier person.

3. YOUR LOVER COMES LAST

Never put your significant other over anyone else. Love is often times temporary but friends are forever. If you close off everyone and you lose him, you have no one. Remember that.

4. ONLY LOVE IF YOU LOVE YOURSELF

This is something I have struggled with since I was about thirteen years old. Make sure you completely and fully love who you are because trying to love someone is hard when only half of you is there.

5. LOVE YOURSELF EVERY GOD DAMN DAY

Every single day I want you to wake up and give yourself compliments. Look in the mirror and be your own personal hype man. No one in this world should love you more than you love yourself.

6. IF YOU NEVER BREAK, YOU'LL NEVER KNOW HOW TO PUT YOURSELF BACK TOGETHER

There will be days that it feels like your entire world has just crashed into the ground and you stand there looking at the debris thinking that there is no way you can rebuild this life. I promise that time will heal all wounds in your body and one day you will begin stacking the building blocks of who you are and things will make sense again.

7. BEING ALONE IS OKAY

Going to eat alone is okay. Laying in your bed underneath freshly washed sheets while reading a great book by yourself is okay. Being able to love yourself so much that you are your own best friend is okay.

8. IF YOU AREN'T AN ARTISTS NOW, CALM DOWN, ONE DAY YOU WILL BE

I grew up around people who were really good at drawing, painting, playing instruments, singing and I never understood why I wasn't an artist. I felt like I would never be creative in the way I wanted to be and I believed I wasn't good enough for anyone because I wasn't an artist. This is my seventh article and each one I write I feel like I'm developing into a writer that actually has a purpose.

9. MUSIC IS INFLUENTIAL

If you are sad and listen to sad music, you will only become more sad. Music influences how we feel every day and thats why it is so important to always kick off your day with songs that make you feel alive.

10. NO ONE CAN FILL HOLES IN YOU

You know when you get a cut, it scabs and eventually heals and with the proper amount time you will never be able to notice the scar again. Thats what its like when someone important to you leaves. So stop trying to put other people in those holes, you just keep opening up the wound. Let yourself heal, even if it takes years.

11. A GOOD BOOK CAN DO WONDERS

Even if you don't like reading, a small article on something that means a lot to you can be influential. A good read can turn your day upside down and make you remember what happiness truly feels like. Get lost in the characters and enter into the realm of fantasy.

12. IT TAKES 21 DAYS TO CREATE A HABIT

If you are trying to stop using social media, give it 21 days. If you are trying to get into routine of working out every day or trying to stop biting your nails, give it 21 days. That three week period will allow you to create a new habit or even break an old one, either way it takes time. Don't rush it.

13. NEVER REGRET DOING SOMETHING, YOU SHOULD ONLY REGRET NOT DOING SOMETHING

If you wanna say something, say it. If you wanna go to the party, go. If you want to send the text, send it. As cliche as it sounds, you will only regret not doing something, I promise. You only live once so please do everything and anything you possibly can.

14. WHEN YOU FIND YOUR BEST FRIEND, FIGHT FOR THEM.. FOREVER

This person will come into your life when you least expect it and they will change your perspective on everything you thought you understood. They will show you what love truly means and they will show you how you deserved to be treated. Never lose them, they are worth so much more than anyone else on this planet.

15. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF OTHER GUYS OUT THERE THAT YOU WILL ENCOUNTER

The heartbreak you just went through is only temporary. I want you to understand that there will be dozens of other people you talk to throughout your time on this earth. Trust me, I thought he was the only one but I found some people that where so much better.

16. YOU ARE YOUR OWN WORST CRITIQUE

No matter what anyone tells you, no ones opinions will hurt you more than your own opinions. Treat your body and mind with respect and understand that one day when you leave this planet, there is only one person who has been with you since the very beginning, yourself. Only show love to that person.

17. MANY PEOPLE WILL BE TEMPORARY IN YOUR STORY, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD KICK THEM OUT OF YOUR LIFE

When you meet certain people you will realize they are only there because you have classes 5 days a week or because you both work at the same place. I call these people "sub-characters." They are only in your life for a short amount of time to teach you a life lesson. So don't close yourself off and ignore them because they are important.

18. SHOW LOVE TO EVERYONE YOU MEET

Being in college I have learned that everyone comes from an extremely different background. I have met kids who grew up in the richest hills of California and others who had to rely on the internet to learn basic knowledge because their parents didn't believe in school. Every single person you interact with has a different story that you know nothing about so please be kind and smile, it might even save someones life.

19. IT IS OKAY TO BE WHOEVER YOU WANT TO BE

I think this is the most important concept I have learned while being alive. Stop being so afraid of what other people think because you need to do the things that make you happy. I don't know how to put this any other way than just; no one else's opinion matters and you don't need to impress anyone else so stop trying to be someone your fucking not. Wear the clothing YOU like, say how YOU feel, follow YOUR dreams and most importantly never let someone be the main character in your own story.