"The earlier you start working, the better. Don't play catch up right before an exam."

This definitely hit home for me this past week. Exam season just flew right on by and the only thing I had on my mind was leaving for spring break and not having any major obligations for a whole week. However, that also meant that my mind tended to wander off quite a bit, making it really hard to focus on my studies. This is a normal thing for so many of us, so I couldn't agree more with starting to study in advance so you don't get stuck not wanting to be productive. It will help a lot in the long run.

"Take your time to notice the beautiful things in life that you normally would take for granted."

Honestly, this is so therapeutic and effective if you make it a habit. We get so caught up in the crowded hustle and bustle of life that it stresses us out sometimes or we're too busy getting from place to place that we don't even realize what's around us anymore. There's always a desire for more to gain, but people don't realize that you gain so much from noticing what's around you outside or inside, or all the little things that happen that you can be grateful for. Take this moment to look around, be more aware, and find some solace.

"Good enough is good enough, unless it's something you're very passionate about."

This is true on so many levels! Too often we find ourselves dissatisfied with the work we are doing and push too hard to make it "perfect". Whatever that may be. The cliche reality here is that nothing is ever perfect and unless you're really into what you're doing, it won't ever be to yourself either. If you do enjoy it and want to keep up with it then there's more opportunity to come closer to perfect than you would've been before.

"Things don't just happen. You make them happen."

I've witnessed so many people in life thinking that whatever they dream of happening will be served on a silver platter, or some the opposite, that it will never happen. This piece of advice definitely rings true. If you live your whole life thinking that everything will be handed to you, you've got a lot to learn. At the same time, you won't get anywhere if you believe that you'll never be able to achieve your dreams. You need to go out there and do everything you can to get where you want to be. It may be a hard journey, but it'll be worth it.

"We spend our whole life learning and still die dumb."

I've honestly never thought about this until writing this article, but I definitely agree. For me, this is like the whole concept of being book smart or street smart. You can learn, learn, learn but only know things by the books and what other people thought was important, but that doesn't do you any good out in the real world when you only know some random facts about some guy from history. You could be the smartest kid in class but still not know basic survival skills for a mundane life.

"If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree it will live its entire life believing that it's stupid."

It's easy to feel discouraged. It's easy to feel like you're useless. What other people may say or think doesn't help the case either, but please remember that you are worth it. No matter what they say or what's holding you back, you can do anything. It may be a little more difficult, but it's not impossible.

"Mind over matter."

And now for some pieces of advice from my life... My mom used to say this to me when I was a child and it's stuck with me even now. If you're feeling a certain way but you don't want to be, tell yourself it's the opposite and a lot of the time it will work. In a way, it's sort of like reverse psychology for yourself. Even now, I use it to help with the little spouts of social anxiety I get from time to time. It helps me build confidence in myself to try new things.

"Don't be sorry, be singing."

My grandfather said this on the phone with me the other month and I just thought it was so much fun! Take from it what you want, but for me, it's a reminder to try to stay positive and always try to look on the bright side. It's easy to be upset or down about something, but instead of dwelling on the negative, notice all the good around you and sing about it.

"If you don't understand something, just smile."

Ok, so this has actually saved me a couple of times in social situations. I've had many experiences of either not hearing someone because we're in a room full of people or just genuinely not knowing what in the world they're talking about. Nine times out of ten, at least for me, if you smile after someone mentions something and you don't understand it, you'll probably get an explanation.

"Common sense is a rare flower that doesn't grow in everyone's garden. Make sure you have a lot of rare flowers in your garden."

Don't deny this, you know it's true. You experience enough people on the daily to notice this in your adventures, what's important is to not be subject to it. You don't have to follow the leader all the time and have complete freedom to make positive changes for yourself. Be that rare flower doing some good for the world.