This weekend, I finally finished watching all nine seasons of "How I Met Your Mother" on Netflix. It was a hilarious show that I'm sad is now over. The main reason I kept watching the series went beyond giggling at Barney's sleezy lies to get girls and Marshall's corny jokes at the bar. I wanted to see who Ted would end up marrying. Throughout the show, he taught some big lessons about love and his quest to find "the one."

1. You might have to wait for the right person

Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to end up like Marshall and Lily, where they meet the person they're meant to spend the rest of their life with when they're still teenagers. You could be 19 years old or 87 years old when you meet the right person. I guess you could say that good things come to those who wait.

2. Keep trying

Not every person you meet will be the one you spend the rest of your life with. Dating isn't something you do only once. You're supposed to keep meeting new people and trying to connect with them to see if theyre the one that's meant to be. If you keep trying and putting in effort, you will find that special someone.

3. Be yourself

It's cliché, but the best person you can be is yourself. You want someone to fall in love with you for who you are. It's important for them to love your flaws and nerdy quirks, and you need to fall in love with theirs. No one is perfect but you shouldn't pretend to be someone you're not. (Yes, Barney. Even you should try to be yourself when picking up random girls at the bar.)

4. Don't force a relationship that isn't working

It's awful to realize that you've been with someone for a year, or maybe two or three, and the person isn't the one you should be with forever. If the relationship isn't working, you should end it. There's no point in wasting time and energy on someone you don't truly love.

5. Don't forget your friends

It's easy to get so caught up in your love life that you forget about your friends. Don't let the stress of dating negatively affect your friendships. Your buddies are there so you can vent to them, get advice and make you feel better when things aren't going so well. They will be there for you no matter what, so you have to show them you appreciate them. Honestly, Ted wouldn't be the person he is without his pals!

6. Might get heart broken more than once

Before Ted was left at the altar by Stella, he suffered through dozens of broken hearts. And after his fiancé left him, he had more heartbreak after that. Although each break up was painful, he kept telling himself that someday the pain would subside.

7. It might get exhausting

Constantly trying to impress someone new can get old, boring and repetitive. There will be times where you just want to give up. You can be like Ted and take a break now and then, but you can't give up entirely.

8. The right person is waiting for you

The story of how two people met is often a long and crazy one. Maybe the day you met them it was destiny or there was a big sign from the universe telling you that this is who you've been waiting for. The point is that the person is out there, and you'll know when you find them.

9. You could lose the one you love

Before you read this last section, beware, because I am about to spoil the entire series. Ted spent years searching for the perfect woman, and he eventually found her. After they were married and had children, however, she died. People aren't permanent, so it's important to enjoy the time and company you have now because you never know when it will be over.