I’ve been lucky enough to have been on this Earth for a whopping 20 years now. And while that pales in comparison to the many years I hope are to come, I’ve learned a few invaluable lessons along the way.
1. If eating icecream makes you happy, eat the damn ice cream. If you genuinely love living off kale and protein shakes, you do that too. The best part? The world will keep on spinning.
2. People who say they have it all figured out at 20 are lying, or delusional. No one knows what they’re doing right now, enjoy the times in your life you have the luxury to say “I don’t know”.
3. Don’t hate her. Unless she’s your best friend, he promised you faithfulness, she didn’t. Don’t let yourself lose out on the possibility of knowing someone great because you’re holding a grudge against the wrong person.
4. If it’s hard to say, it probably needs to be said. Although there are things in life that are better left unstated, most of the time, they’re worth the temporary pain they will cause because they bring about much better things.
5. Friendships are important and life-sustaining. Having the right person by your side is priceless. Don’t feel like you have to choose, because the right people will create a balance all on their own.
6. If it doesn’t make you happy, it isn’t worth your time. (Unfortunately, this doesn’t include taxes, the DMV, or learning CPR).
7. You have got to learn to ask for help. Whether it’s for a hug on a long day, or someone to talk to when you’re seriously struggling, we have got to lose this idea that brave people do it all on their own.
8. Dresses that make you smile so hard your cheeks hurt when you put them on, are worth spending that extra bit of money today and saving a little more next week.
9. The only person who loses out on happiness when you value other people’s opinions above your own, is you. Don’t realize too late that there are a million things you would have done if only you didn’t care what everyone else thought.
10. Don’t hate who you were then. Embrace every single awkward, weird and embarrasing stage you went through because they are the reason you are who you are.
11. Be mad at boys that hurt you - but don’t let them decide your future. Learn the lessons you need to know for next time, and keep on going. No one is worth changing your opinion of yourself over...unless that opinion is remembering that you’re a strong confident woman and you can absolutely do this.
12. It is 110 percent not cute to make someone feel bad about something that makes them happy - genuine happiness is hard to come by.
13. Self-love is not as simple as looking in the mirror and telling yourself you look good every morning. It is a long, ever-changing process and you never have to apologize for where you are at in that journey.
14. Don’t date boys who make you cry more than they make you smile. Seems like an overly simple rule, but it’s true. Relationships are hard and will test you, but they should never feel like an uphill battle where you’re always the loser.
15. People are going to say mean, hurtful things to you. Decide which things hurt because they’re petty, and which things hurt because you fear they may be right...the latter pain can be solved by changing for the better and proving them wron.
16. Find one cheesey, gimicky thing you love and stand by it. Whether it’s checking your horosocope every morning, wearing lucky socks for tests, or writing post-it notes telling yourself how great you’re doing - find one thing you won’t budge on no matter who think it’s silly.
17. Your parents are (annoyingly) right about a lot of things. Not because they’ve lived longer or they know better, but because they are one of the few people who has known you since day one. Usually what they’re telling you is what they know to be true because they know you like the back of their hand - listen every once in a while.
18. Mistakes suck, but not nearly as much as making them over and over again. Suck it up and learn from your mistakes so you can move on.
19. Your body is your body is your body is your body. If you want to cover it in tattoos, or show it off when you go out, you do you. Life is seriously too damn short to waste hours wondering if your shoulders might offend someone.
20. Petty thoughts have no place other than being sent to your mother to get them out. Tell your mom how you really feel, then go be the bigger person and take the high road. Pettiness has no place in the big kid world.
Although most lessons are learned after making a few mistakes...I wouldn't trade the valuable lessons I've learned in my time. And I can't help but look forward to the lessons that are yet to come.
