You made it. You made it out of your teenage years. You can let out that big sigh of relief for surviving the hardest years of your life with minimal permanent damage. But as awful as the past decade was emotionally, it has definitely taught you some life lessons that you should keep with you for the rest of your life.
1. Nothing will ever be more important than your education.
I don't care who the guy is, he will never be more important than getting your degree. Don't skip out on studying the night before a huge exam for him, because there is a pretty high chance he won't be there to watch you grab your diploma in the end.
2. Just because they ask, doesn't mean they care.
Your parents are the only ones who truly give a sh*t about how your day went or why you've been so upset lately. Anyone else who asks is either just being polite or curious.
3. Don't blow your friends off for a boy, you'll regret it.
I know he may be your life as of right now, but who's going to be there when it falls apart if you devote all of your time to him?
4. When your friends give you advice, no matter how much it hurts, listen to them.
Don't go asking your friends for advice if you have no intention of listening to them. Everything they tell you, no matter how painful the words are, are said with good intentions. They will never give you advice to steer you wrong, and they are thinking more clearly than you are at the moment.
5. Take some time for yourself.
You don't always have to be a social butterfly, take some time for yourself. Stay in bed on a Friday night if you're tired and want to watch Netflix, there's no shame in doing that.
6. Having a few good friends is better than a lot of fake ones.
Having a small circle is a good thing. You don't need 20 okay friends when having two great ones will do the job.
7. It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks.
In high school, everyone is overly concerned about what their classmates think of them. Once you get to college you realize that no one cares at all what you're doing with your life and even if they did, the only opinion that matters is your own.
8. Your mom is usually right, about everything.
If your mom thinks your friend is sketchy or your boyfriend is a deadweight, she's 100 percent right. She's been through everything you have already and she knows what she's talking about.
9. You may not think it, but it's important to love yourself.
Because who else is going to love you if you can't even love yourself?
10. Ice cream heals all wounds.
Your boyfriend broke up with you? Ice cream. You failed an exam? Ice cream. It never fails.
11. Time doesn't matter, quality does.
Just because you've been with or been friends with someone for years, doesn't mean you have a good relationship. Sometimes the best relationships are the ones that start quick and move quickly, it just depends on the situation.
12. Be with someone who makes you want to be better.
Be with someone who is such a good person and treats you so well that it makes you want to be a better person. The good in them will bring out the best in you and that's a great feeling to have.
13. Get rid of the toxic people in your life.
You meet so many people in your teen years who just suck the life out of you. You may not realize they're toxic at the time, but all they're doing is holding you back and until you get rid of them, you'll never be able to move forward
14. Less is more.
This applies to a lot of things and is pretty self explanatory.
15. Know the difference between being in love, and the idea of being in love.
Being in love is such a great feeling that sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking we're in love with someone, when really we're only in love with the idea of them. Know the difference.
16. It's OK to make mistakes.
You'll never learn if you don't make mistakes. Most success stories come with a lot of failure stories, don't be afraid to fail.
17. It's OK to get your heart broken.
This may sound strange but I didn't understand what kind of person I wanted to be with until I got my heart broken. I realized how I deserved to be treated and knew not to settle for anything less.
18. You should never rely on someone else to supply your happiness.
I'm not saying to not be with someone who makes you happy, but to not make them your only source of happiness. Find happiness in the things in life you love, not the people you love.
19. It's always darkest before the dawn.
Although a friend of mine said this to me as a complete joke, there's truth in her words. Things may seem bad now, but they won't be bad forever. Sometimes things need to get worse before they can get better.
20. Life is worth living.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, is so bad that you can't overcome it. Life is short and precious and never feel like your life isn't worth something. Live life to the fullest and be spontaneous, you could surprise yourself.
