As my twentieth birthday as approaches, I began to look back and reflect on the many things I’ve experienced in the past two decades. Both good and bad, I’ve been able to learn something from it. I feel that it is necessary to reflect and look back at the “highlights” of the years in order to grow as a person.
1. The most important lesson I’ve learned so far in life is that if you give off positive energy, positive energy will come right back towards you.
Some days I wake up in a bad mood, for no particular reason and it carries on for the rest of my day, resulting in having a bad day. I’ve learned that if I wake up thankful for even the smiliest of things in life, I’ll be happy and start off my day on a good note. Happy person means a happy life!
2. There was a point in time when I had many people around me who always went out, liked to have fun and were living a very carefree lifestyle.
At the time I thought this was the life I wanted and these were the right kind of people to have in my life. I soon learned that it is important to worry about life every once in a while before things get out of control and it’s too late to fix things. A carefree life does not mean not caring about the world and responsibilities. A carefree life means staying on top of your responsibilities so you can be stress-free and have the luxury of not caring from time to time.
3. The same group of people I spoke about before also taught me another very important lesson. People are not always who you think they are. Your friends today may not be your friends tomorrow.
It takes a while to find the right group of people who enjoy the same things you do and have similar goals in life, but when you do find them, it is such a blessing. Do not be afraid to lose people. There are so many people in this world and they will come and go, so there is no need to stress over people who are in fact not good for you.
4. Which brings me to my next lesson that relationships do not need to be hard.
I’ve had my fair share of relationships, and I’ve gotten to know many people, it gets to the point where you can tell right away who is worthwhile and who is not. It is important to learn to appreciate yourself enough in order to know when to step away from something even if at the moment you may think it’s something you can learn to deal with. It is okay to be selfish when it comes to your wellbeing, both mental and physical.
5. Confidence is key in everything you do.
People will often try to bring you down or say you can’t do something, but what others think literally does not matter. Do what makes you happy, what you know will benefit you, and what will turn out good for you in the end. If you have confidence, everything will be okay. As the saying goes, the lion does not lose sleep over the opinions of sheep.
6. Many people will come your way, so talk to them.
Meeting new people will bring you many surprises. This can be a way you make some of the best friendships you’ve had.
7. Laughter really is the best medicine.
8. Smile at strangers when you walk past them.
A simple gesture such as smiling can turn someone’s day around and make you feel good inside.
9. Your parents are the only people on the planet that will always be there for you no matter what.
I recently accepted the fact that my parents really are my best friends and I’m totally okay with that. I don’t know of any other people in my life who really have loved me no matter what, always helped me in any situation I was in, and did little things for me for no reason other than to make me happy. If you ask me, those are traits of the perfect best friend.
10. It is okay to be sad.
A person does not need to be happy all the time. Sadness is part of what makes us human. Learn what you need to do when you are sad - listen to music, go for a walk, spend some time alone, treat yourself, etc. - do it, then go on with your day. The worst thing someone can do is to try to cover up their sadness and hold it in for days. Accept it, handle it and you’ll feel so much better a lot sooner.
11. All of those knick knacks you want to throw out, keep them.
The little things that bring back memories will mean so much more to you the older you get.
12. If you have a large family, always remember that there are little ones watching your every move. Always strive to be the type of person that is a good role model.
13. Education is so important.
Reading that Greek tragedy and learning that math equation may seem useless now, but it’s all just making you smarter in the end and leading up to something bigger to learn.
14. If you ever get into an argument with ignorant people, or people who aren’t exactly at the smart end of the rope, do not waste time trying to reason with them.
It is 2015, majority of people have access to the internet, and go to school, so if they are still ignorant and not the brightest of individuals, it is their choice. Remember that some people get a kick out of being ignorant and getting a rise out of people.
15. It is never okay to be mean.
When I was younger, a lesson that was drilled into my head as an elementary schooler was if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all, and nothing could be truer. If you have something not so nice to say, there is no reason for you to say it. It is that simple.
16. There is a fine line between being honest and being rude.
If you find yourself having to say, “I’m just being honest” after something, chances are that what you just said is rude.
17. Growing up, I’ve gone through many phases and they taught me the things you like now will definitely not be the same things you like years from now.
But go ahead and purchase all of those posters and T-shirts, you’ll want the memories later.
18. As technology advances, so does the way we communicate with people.
Social media can be a great thing when used correctly. Updates every hour of what you’re doing along with pictures and tagging everyone you know along with using more than five hashtags is very unnecessary. Learn that social media is there to share things you are doing that you are proud of, to share information and to get in touch with old friends and maybe even make new ones. The future is now, embrace it and learn how to use the technology that surrounds you.
19. All of those “adult” things, like learning to save money, clean, how to pay bills, dealing with banks and cooking, are very valuable things to learn how to do at a young age.
When you go out into the real world, you don’t want to be the person who has no idea what they’re doing.
20. Getting older can be scary, but life has many experiences to offer, so don’t let any of them pass you by.
No matter what you do, make sure to take something valuable away from it. Life has many lessons, so got out and learn them all!
