August 10, 2016 will mark my 20th birthday. That is mind-blowing to me! What happened to when I was a little girl and a teenager. The years have flown by so fast! I have learned a lot through the years. Some of them being:

1. Never take the people in your life for granted.

2. A smile on your face makes you much more attractive and happy than someone who has a frown on.

3. Some friends you think you will know and love forever disappear from your life on accident.

4. Your mom is your best friend when no one else wants to be.

5. Don't give up when something gets hard or seems impossible.

6. Don't let other people ruin your dreams or affect how you feel about yourself.

7. It doesn't matter what kind of 'trends' are in during a specific season. Wear whatever you makes you happy!

8. If you're a girl, don't let someone tell you that you can't do something because you are a girl.

9. Being away from home for long periods of time are really difficult, but get easier as time goes on.

10. Having a faith in God or a higher power is very helpful.

11. Don't let people walk all over you. I have done this for years and am so sick and tired of it.

12. When someone tries to get you to do something you don't want to or you are not comfortable doing, just say no or walk away.

13. It's okay to be nervous or scared.

14. Before you fall in love with someone else, make sure to fall in love with yourself first.

15. Change is scary, but good.

16. The saying, "practice makes perfect" is absolutely true. You can't drive a car or ride a bike perfectly the first time you try. It takes time, and that's okay.

17. Friends really are the family we get to choose.

18. Don't procrastinate if you can avoid it!

19. Dress up if that makes you feel pretty. Do it even if it's just for dinner at your kitchen table. Trust me, I did this almost every night from when I was five-years-old until I was nine or ten-years-old.

20. Find something that interests you, and run with it.

Throughout the past years of my life I have learned a lot and I have lost a lot. I have wanted to give up when something got too hard or got to be something that I was frustrated with. Sometimes I did, and would storm off like an angsty teenager, but those experiences, if I had stuck with them, could have led me to so many new opportunities. I have matured, grown, and learned what it means to be a competent person.