Waffles. Dedication. Positivity. Girl power. Hard work.

Do these things make you think of anyone in particular?

Leslie Knope is a legend. In my opinion, she is one of the most influential and inspiring characters on television to this day. Not only has Leslie inspired me to work hard towards accomplishing my dreams, but she made me laugh and cry so many times. Yeah, whatever, I take life lessons from a fictional character. Laugh at me all you want, but, alas, you will feel the same way I do after you read this article.

As an avid Parks and Recreation fan, I decided to think about the times Leslie has affected my life and share them with you.

1. Love yourself and dream big!

Leslie: “Winning is every girl’s dream. But it’s my destiny. And my dream.”

You know, sometimes we have to think about ourselves. It’s okay to do that. You have to love yourself before you can love anyone else, right? In order to inspire, we need to be inspired ourselves.

Dreams are also important. They push us to work hard and to never give up. Anyways, dreaming is fun, even if you have a dream that is unrealistic. I kind of wish sometimes I could be a unicorn instead of a college student, but we all know that’s not going to happen. But, I’m majoring in Education so my biggest dream is to be an amazing teacher someday. Can that happen? YES!

2. It's okay to have bad days.

We all have “those days”. Those not-so-perfect days where everything goes wrong, you feel like your life is officially over and you just want to freak out. Breathe. It’s going to be just fine if you just breathe and realize everything will work itself out in the end.

Nobody is perfect. Even Leslie has bad days.

3. Treat. Yo. Self.

Leslie: “Why would anybody ever eat anything besides breakfast food?”

Life is too short to miss out on amazing things like waffles. And more waffles. It’s okay to watch what you eat, but it’s also okay to treat yourself. Moral of the story: if you're getting ice cream, get sprinkles on it, too.

4. Prioritize the important things in life.

Do I really have to say more about this?

5. Cherish your friends.

Leslie: “Ann, you beautiful tropical fish.”

Leslie: “You are a beautiful, talented, brilliant, powerful musk ox.”

Leslie loves her friends. After all, she is the creator of Galentine’s Day. Our friends are so important to us, which is why we should always keep them close. Be there for them, give them compliments like the ones Leslie gives to Ann, and most of all, put them first. "Hoes before bros," am I right ladies?