Pulitzer prize winner and classic American novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," authored by Harper Lee in 1960, has become a widely read and known book because of its humor and geniality, cleverly placed alongside serious issues, such as rape and racism. During my high school and college years, I have found myself looking back at the context of this novel because of the lessons Lee portrayed throughout the chapters. Re-reading this book multiple times has allowed me to keep 10 life lessons close in my heart.

1. Bad things are in the world.

Growing up, I often looked at the world as sunshine and dandelions. I had always learned about conflict and dangerous things happening, but I never imagined that my life would eventually have these negative experiences enter. However, as I grew up, I realized the world is actually a very cruel place at times, and Atticus Finch helped me realize this, especially with his quote, "There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible." Being around the ugly things is inevitable, and you have to learn how to handle negative situations in life.

2. March to the beat of your own drum.

My whole life, my mom has told me that I march to the beat of my own drum, meaning I do not follow the crowd. I have never been one to mend myself to fit in with others, rather, I gather toward those who have similar values and morals that I do. Going into high school, I read "To Kill a Mockingbird" again, which reminded me that "the one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscious." You are allowed to make your own decisions in life and never have to conform to the world. You are responsible for all of your actions, and you are your own person; keep it that way, everyone else is already taken.

3. Always be kind, even when others are rude.

People are not always going to agree with your views and opinions on certain issues in the world. In some instances, you are going to have the minority opinion, but you must stand strong for what you believe in. There will be cases in your life where people degrade you for what you believe in and will be uncivil toward your values and opinions. Take these moments with a grain of salt. You don't have to agree with everyone. You don't have to mend your ideas and not speak out just because of what others want to hear. When Bob Ewell spit in Atticus Finch's face for defending an African-American man, Atticus took the hatred and acted in a calm manner. This particular scene has helped me when others do not have the same thought as me and are disgraceful to the fact that we have differing opinions. Whenever this happens, I remember Atticus and stay calm and collected – most of the time.

4. Everyone is equal.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" reminds us that everyone is equal regardless of your ethnicity, religion, race, gender or demographic. No one is superior to another, no matter what experiences have occurred in their life. Lee makes this point by having Atticus defend an African-American man, Tom Robinson, when, in this time period, it was viewed as obscene to defend a person of color for a crime, especially since they lived in the South and the crime in the book was so significant: rape. Atticus reminded us to always remember to defend anyone who is innocent, regardless if they are different than you. You are no better than anyone.

5. Never judge someone based on their cover.

You can hear rumors, make assumptions and see someone differently based on their outside. However, if you do not get to know the person and see what's inside, you have no right to judge them. "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." Before reading this book, I was very judgmental. I would constantly judge people and make assumptions based on their appearances. While I do still struggle with this at times, Lee instilled this idea in my mind of not judging people by what you see, but by what they have to offer inside.

6. Don't be afraid of standing up for what is right.

This is something I definitely still struggle with. I often have differing views than my friends on certain topics, values and actions. Surprisingly, even to my friends, I am afraid about standing up for what I believe in; I am afraid of what they may think or what they will say. However, I am comforted by the fact that Atticus, in one instance, went and sat outside of Tom's jail cell all night, so no one would bother him. I loved how when a mob came, he stood up to them and indirectly made them realize what they were doing was wrong and they were not portraying a good example to their families, especially their young children. Lee perfectly placed this event in the novel to make it known that it is perfectly OK to stand up for what is right. In fact, you need to stand up for these things if you ever want to see a change in a certain area if needed.

7. Fear losing the things you love.

"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing," Scout Finch said. If you love something, hold onto it. If you can't go without thinking about it, never stop doing everything you can to maintain what you have. Having something that you love is so special, and it can be as simple as being able to read or a hobby or activity that is in your life. Being able to have these things is a huge privilege. Something that's small that you love could be several times larger than what someone else has. Lee teaches us that it is natural to fear losing the things you love most. In fact, if you don't fear losing it, what's the point of having it significantly in your life?

8. "People generally see what they look for and hear what they listen for."

Some people in this world will only ever hear and see what they want to. They may be in a state of denial, but you just have to deal with the fact that a situation like this may end up causing conflict. It is something that is inevitable and will occur throughout your whole life, regardless of where you are and who you associate with. Everyone sees things their own way and may never be able to see things the way that you do; however, you must not dwell on these things and have to move on.

9. "He stalked me out, marked me as his property, said I was the only girl he would ever love, then neglected me. I beat him up twice, but it did no good." –Scout Finch

The older you get, the more you realize that conflict is always going to be present and what is appropriate for handling a situation. This quote by Scout is somewhat of a concept that you live and you learn. When we find ourselves in a situation that is new to us, we may not handle it correctly at first, or for a while after. However, through experiences with dealing in certain situations, we will begin to learn how to handle situations for the betterment of handling the issue and for becoming a better person.

10. Don't let this world's beauty escape.

My absolute favorite quote of all time comes from this book.

“'Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.' That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.
'Your father’s right,' she said. 'Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.'”

The source of the novel's title is carefully placed in chapter 10, portraying how the most beautiful people in this world are "mockingbirds." They don't do anything but try to make the world a better, safer place and want to help others in any way they can. Boo Radley is the main example of the mockingbird in the novel; however, the comparison of birds and people is made continuously throughout the text. Each person is brought into the world with a purpose to be a "mockingbird." This is what makes the world beautiful. We are reminded not to shoot them down, call them out or make them feel different from us.

When I was in the third grade, my grandmother, "Beachmom," so graciously presented me with "To Kill a Mockingbird" for my birthday. She told me a little about the book and wrote a letter on the inside cover to me, explaining why she gave it to me and wishing that I would enjoy it. Little did I know at that time, this would soon become my favorite novel. I am forever grateful for Beachmom giving me this book because it has implemented so much character and morals in my life. For the rest of my life, I will read this book, pass it along to whoever has not had the privilege to read it and will never forget what this simple book has given me.