Growing up in the late 1990s-early 2000s, one of my TV role models/real-life role models was the character of Buffy Summers, from the popular Sci-Fi show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For those of you who have never seen it, the basic rundown of the show goes something like this: Buffy Summers is the classic "Valley Girl" cheerleader who moves from Sunny L.A. to Sunnydale, California.

Upon her transfer to her new school, she begins having vivid dreams about vampires, and upon meeting the new school "librarian" (who really turns out to be her supernaturally-informed guardian of sorts), learns that she is the chosen one, which basically means that it's up to her and only her to save the world from vampires and other demons. So, after Buffy learns what her life purpose is, she begins to form lifelong friendships with two other students. Fast forward to many different monster-infused battles, two vampires, and one human romance, a sister that shows up in season five of the series, and one apocalyptic, seriously kickass series finale, that's pretty much the show.

So, you're probably asking yourself why any of this matters, and why I just gave you a condensed-soup version of the series. Well, throughout my years of watching and subsequently re-watching the series, I've come to find that while the supernatural monsters appear to be the focal point of the show, there are important life lessons to be learned as well. Here is my list of some of the most important life lessons that this show has taught me, and I hope some of these lessons resonate with you, too.

That's my list of lessons I've learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I hope these lessons stay with you, just as they've stayed with me.