I’ve always found solace in collecting quotes. There’s something comforting in finding phrases and words strung together that resonate with you in ways that you never thought someone else would understand. For as long as I can remember, I have been saving quotes. There’s something special about finding someone else’s record of exactly the way you feel that lets you know that you’re really not alone. Whenever someone in my life is going through a struggle and I don’t know what more to do than be a shoulder to lean on, I find myself going through my folder of saved quotes in the hopes that something that I’ve found over the past few years will resonate with them enough to offer them some comfort. Whether you’re going through something significant or fleeting, here are some of my favorite quotes to help you get through today.

“What you allow is what will continue”

Once you set up boundaries, people will stop crossing them. You have the power to shape your life and to remove toxic people from infecting it. Your mid-twenties are one of the most vulnerable years of your life. You are going to face a lot of situations where tough decisions will need to be made. Approach every situation that you face with a sense of faith that you will be okay. If you feel that you're being mistreated, speak up. Say something. Do not allow others to belittle you- and, most importantly, never belittle yourself. 

“I learned the hard way that I cannot always count on others to respect my feelings--even if I respect theirs. Being a good person doesn’t guarantee that others will be good people. You only have control over yourself and how you choose to be as a person. As for others, you can only choose to accept them or walk away.”

In life, you should never have to change who you are to fit what someone else wants. Offer people that same courtesy. So many of us spend our lives stressing over the inevitable fact that sometimes we are powerless over the actions of others. If someone is not meant to be in your life as they are, accept them for their shortcomings, or respectfully walk away.

“Suddenly you’re 21 and you’re screaming along in the car to all the songs you listened to when you were sad in middle school and everything is different but everything is good.”

We all have that song we cried to in high school (Miserable At Best, anyone?). You’re going to listen to that song a few years from now, and you’re still probably going to cry. But you’re going to be stronger, and you’re going to be you, and most importantly, you’re going to be here. This is a time in your life that relationships will end, friendships will fade, and fights will happen. This is also the time that how you react to these events will define who you are. Know that you've gotten through struggles before. You have passed the tests that you never thought you could. You have made it through being dumped by the guy/girl that you thought was everything. You will get through whatever you go through next.

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”

You are exactly where you're supposed to be. Live a life with decisions made based on your happiness and wellbeing. You have the power to be whoever you want to be, whenever you want to be. Approach every situation with one certainty: that you will come out of it stronger. And better. And wiser. And better for it. No matter what life throws at us, how we react and what we learn from it defines who we are. If you aren't happy with who you are, then be the version of yourself that will allow you that ability. All it takes is a conscious decision to try.

“Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about unbecoming everything that isn’t really you so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.”

This is a time in your life where every decision that you make will feel extremely monumental. Every conscious choice will feel as if it can alter the entire course of your life, and that if you mess it up, there will be no going back.

This is not the case. Life is about being the most authentic version of your self and, in turn, giving yourself your best, honest shot at happiness. Don't worry so much about your job. Don't feel like you immediately need a career out of school. Who cares if you're still single? Stop comparing yourself to everyone else that you know and feeling inferior. All that you need to do is breathe. Shed the parts of yourself that are holding you back from being you. Forget the fears, the shame, the insecurity. Un-become everything that isn't who you want to be.

So be you. Be bold. Be brave. Be happy.