The six years of being a teenager are some of the best and worst years of your life. You are constantly learning about yourself and about the world around you. As I come to the final days of my teenage years, I look back and realize just how much I learned. I’ve experienced a lot and because of such, I have changed a lot. These are the most important 19 things (yes I did do that on purpose) that I have learned within my final year as a teenager:

1. Not everyone will like you…and that’s O.K.

One of the most important things you learn as a teenager is that you cannot and will not be liked by everyone you meet. People won’t like you, it’s as simple as that. And as much as that sucks, it also doesn’t matter. The only person whose opinion of you that really matters is yours. Your opinion of you is the most important thing. ALWAYS be true to who are, because there is no need to impress everyone. Impress people worth impressing (like employers, friends and life partners), and move on from the people who are not worth it.

2. Friends will come and go.

You will make friends everywhere you go. However, not all the friends you make will be worth keeping. People change and grow and sometimes they never change. Surround yourself with friends who will support you, be honest with you, and make you happy. There is no point in continuing a one-way friendship; don’t stay in friendships that put you down or stress you out. The friendships that last throughout the years are the best, and most important ones to maintain.

3. Surround yourself with people who uplift you.

The people you hang out with impact your life much more than it seems. Surround yourself with people who will support you and challenge you to become something more. If you surround yourself with people who continually bring you down or who never do anything positive with their lives, you too will see signs of their actions within your life. Sometimes this means cutting ties with people you’ve known for a long time, in order to find a better crowd that will motivate you to success.

4. Put the people who matter the most to you first.

Always show you care. Put the people who matter the most to you first. Appreciate people and show them that you do. It’s as simple as that. People will see that you care and will do the same for you. Go out of your way for the people that mean the most to you, and you will see that they will do the same for you.

5. Your passions are important.

Your interests and talents are the most important to how you want to live your life. Your passions will help guide you to new experiences and new people. Don’t get blinded by the passions of others, and don’t let others tell you what your interests should or shouldn’t be. Do things that make you happy and avoid things that make you feel the opposite.

6. The world will not wait for you.

Like Ferris Bueller said, life moves fast, and it does not wait for anyone. Don’t procrastinate and watch life slip away. Make moves. Get ahead of the game and get things done early. Set goals and do everything you can to accomplish them. Nothing good comes to those who are lazy. Be a do-er, and you’ll see results instantly. Make a name for yourself, instead of waiting for luck to happen.

7. Mentors are a key to success.

People have gone before you and have succeeded. Find a someone who inspires you; someone whom you strive to become. Find that person, and start a conversation. Learn from their advice and their experiences.

8. You make your own choices.

You are responsible for all your choices and actions. You decide what you do and where you go. Yes, things will happen in which you won’t have any control in, but how you respond and act in such situations is ultimately up to you. Make choices that will benefit you and impact your life in a positive way. Don’t get caught up in actions that will only bring you down or push you further away from your goals.

9. Stop blaming the world.

It’s human instinct to blame others, or the world for that matter, when things don’t go the way you want. But you have to stop that because you don’t learn from those excuses. You’ll only learn from accepting your own mistakes and changing things for future opportunities.

10. Life is not fair and will not go the way you want.

Life will never be as perfect as any movie, book or TV show will portray it to be. In the majority of these stories, there are always happy endings and the protagonist is usually always rewarded with good things. However, in real life, bad things happen to good people and vice versa. But you have to pick up the pieces and continue. You cannot let the unfair times keep you from achieving your goals and going after the things you want. You have to get up and keep going, stronger than before. If something is important to you, never back down.

11. Heartache is real.

Heartache doesn’t just refer to romantic feelings. There are a lot of things that can make your chest feel heavy and your heart gasp with every beat. It can be the end of a long, beautiful relationship. It can be holding a drug addicted friend in your arms. It can be losing a loved one. It can be the worst things you’ll go through, and it comes in all different forms. This deep kind of sorrow happens to everyone at some point in one's life. When the time comes, surround yourself with the people who make you the happiest and don’t be ashamed with how you deal with things. Everyone goes through difficult times differently, and you deserve to go through it how you see fit. And no matter what, always know that everything passes with time. Things do get easier, and new and better things will blossom in place of the old. Don’t let the sorrow of the past keep you from experiencing the new.

12. Nothing is worth the drama.

Drama is pointless. It never helps anything, nor will it solve anything. Be honest with people and go through confrontation when needed. Don’t start rumors, and don’t spread them. Keep conflict between the people involved, adding others to the drama only makes things worse. Cut out the people from your life who live on that drama, because it is purely unhealthy to live your life that way.

13. Put yourself first.

There are appropriate times to be selfish, so take advantage of those times. Know your strengths and showcase them. Don’t be afraid to brag about yourself because employers want to see that you have confidence in yourself. Be willing to sell yourself, because a lot of the great opportunities in life will request you to do so. Ultimately, to succeed in life, you will need to put yourself and your needs first.

14. Stop judging others.

Humans judge. It’s very hard not to. We immediately judge everyone we meet and the situations we’re in. But in reality, the first impression judgments we make about people never turn out to be fully correct. Judging others does not benefit anyone. Things are never how they first appear, and there is no need to treat someone based on how they may appear to you. Get to know someone before you allow your judgments to cloud your thoughts.

15. Be grateful.

There are a lot of things to be grateful for, and there are many reasons to be happy. They may seem small or insignificant compared to others, but they’re there. Being grateful is something that everyone can benefit from. Knowing how fortunate you live, helps to better understand those who are less well off. It allows you to appreciate the things you do have. Your bad day may be someone else’s good day. Appreciating the things you have will help you to find peace in your own situations.

16. Save money.

Saving money is hard but important. It’s especially hard during your first years in college because as a student, you realize that everything costs money. Saving money teaches you to be responsible and helps you to learn how to set goals for yourself. Nothing is more rewarding than finally buying that really expensive thing that you’ve been saving up for. A good tip for saving money is to put extra change in a jar and put a lid on it. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll save money, and having the lid on the jar will prevent you from seeing the available money and wanting to spend it. Another great idea is to choose a jar that is not see-through, or cover the sides of the jar (if it is see-through) to prevent yourself from seeing the money.

17. Life is too short to not adventure and try new things.

Trying new things is the best way to find new interests. And you’ll never know what you like if you never try anything new. Explore your curiosity, discover new things. Adventure all the unknown, and never stop. To fully take advantage of what life has to offer; you must be able to try new experiences.

18. Don’t be afraid of fear.

Do not let fear stop you. Fear is simply a feeling, it shouldn’t dictate what you do and what you don’t. If you never conquer the fear, you’ll never experience new things. Go out and show yourself that there is nothing to be afraid of. Fear only limits you, so go and prove it wrong. A Cinderella Story has been one of my favorite movies since I was little, mainly because of the quote “Don’t let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game." This quote is a great reminder to not let fear itself keep you from experiencing all that life has to offer.

19. Choose to be happy.

Choosing to be happy is the number one key in life. It can be hard sometimes and can seem impossible but it really is the secret to living a positive life. Choosing to do the things that make you happy, and choosing to surround yourself with people who make you happy, will make you happy. Surrounding yourself with negativity will work the same way. Being happy is as simple as focusing on the happiness in your life.