A couple weeks ago on Twitter, I stumbled across the hashtag #journeyingtaughtme. What I didn't expect to find was that hundreds of Twitter users would bare their souls following this hashtag. And the things I learned were amazing, heartbreaking, tear-jerking, etc. Also for the first time ever, it felt like there were people out there with the same struggles and hard learned life lessons as me. So I was inspired to write this: so here are 15 things that my journey has taught me.

It is okay to cut toxic people out of your life.

You are not obligated to live a life followed around by demons from your past. If they don't better you, let them move on. At the end of the day, you are the company you keep. So keep the good ones.

Suicide is not the answer. There is always hope, there is always someone to talk to.

Life can get overwhelming sometimes. So overwhelming that you feel like you're drowning. But don't worry. Whatever you're going through will make you stronger, and it's okay to ask for help.

Take a mental health day.

A mental health day is a very real and beneficial thing. Sometimes our brains work on overdrive and you need to distance yourself from the hustle and bustle of the world sometimes. Do it. Your mental health is just as important as any job or class you will ever go to.

Fall in and out of love as many times as you want.

Don't let people ridicule you for falling in love too easily or too hard. There is no such thing. Put your all and pour your heart into everything you do, even relationships. They may not always work out, but you will be a stronger person for it.

It's okay to not know.

This sounds a little vague, I know. However, it's okay to not know something. It's okay to not know what you want to do in life and it's okay to not know where you want to end up. Make your journey worthwhile so you have something to look back on.

Hold on to the friends who would pick up the phone at 1am just to listen to you.

These are the people you need in your life. Not the friends who only text you back when you want to go out and party, but the friends who will answer the phone in the middle of the night. Keep the friends who would drive an hour to your house just to give you a hug because you got dumped. These people are important, let them know.

Tell everyone you love them while you can.

This is a little sad, but so true. Life is not a given and anyone can disappear at a moment's notice. So tell everyone you love that you love them as often as you can. One day you might not be able to.

You are more than just a grade or a job title.

This is something I'm still learning. However, it's important. You are you. You are not the grade you got on that late paper you forgot was due or just an employee of that company you work for. You are alive and have your own personality and self-identity. So own it.

There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

No matter how bad life seems or how done on your luck you feel, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. There is always some greater reward for the painstaking things you have to endure to get there. Stay strong.

Your first may not be your only. Don't shame yourself.

As someone who held pride in "waiting for that special one", I learned that the special "one" really wasn't that special and that shaming myself over my indiscretion and seemingly poor judgement was just counterproductive. Take your indiscretions with a grain of salt and chalk it up to a lesson learned.

Some people deserve second chances. Others, do not.

You are allowed to pick and choose the people you give second chances to. Give a second chance to the person who calls you on the phone to admit they made a mistake. Don't give a second chance to the person who doesn't think twice about your own feelings before theirs.

You're allowed to say no.

Whatever you're saying no to, you're allowed to. You're allowed to say no to anything that doesn't feel right. The expectations of your high school boyfriend do not trump your own desires and level of comfort. Say no.

Keep yourself organized.

This can be done in multiple ways. Keep yourself organized first. Your goals, plans, desires, etc. come before that of anyone else. At the end of the day, you're the only person who has to live with yourself. So make life as easy as possible for yourself. Do one task a day that helps you maintain some organization in your life.

Let people know how you feel.

Often, we get caught up in little moments that we actually don't let people know how we feel at all. We brush our feelings under the rug for the sake of keeping the peace or not seeming too emotional about something. Let people know how you feel. If you're hurt by someone, tell them. If you're angry at someone, take it out on them, not yourself. Bottling up your emotions does way more harm than good.

And lastly,

Take care of yourself.

Don't place your entire existence in the hands of someone who only sees you as a temporary step in their life. Don't allow your happiness to come from some outside force that doesn't have the best of intentions for you. Make your own happiness. Love yourself. Learn to be self-sufficient so you don't ever have to "need" anyone but yourself for survival. Depend upon yourself so heavily that nobody can let you down.

Take a moment to think about what your journey has taught you. Are you a better person? Are there things you would like to change? Every step you take impacts the future steps you will take. Do what's best for yourself, always.