Everyone goes through events in life that help shape them into the person they are right now. Good or bad, the situations -if significant enough- come along with words of encouragement, advice, or teaching from others.They may even be self-revelations. Either way, here are a few lessons learned from people that I hold dear to my heart. Maybe they can help you too.

"Find what makes you happy as a person and chase after it authentically. You should never let anyone dull your sunshine or make you feel that what you like and how you live is not important, because you matter and what you do matters."

"Don't sweat the small stuff. At the end of the day the issues you think are issues probably aren't that bad. Just relax. Everything will work it's way out, and have fun along the way."

"As long as you have good intentions, then the rest doesn't matter. As long as you mean to do well and mean to do good, that's all you can control. You can control what you say, and how you say it. You can't control how people will react.Control the controllable."

"You are like an un-bloomed flower. Someday soon you will open and fully bloom into happiness, leaving your sadness, inhibition, and depression behind, once and for all. One day you will be okay, and just because you're not okay now doesn't mean you won't be soon. Not being fully okay right now doesn't make you any less of a person."

"You are only as strong as your mind. Your mind is so powerful and only you can push yourself. You can honestly do anything."

"Life is too short to be unhappy. Even though you might get stuck in a bad/unhappy situation, there is always something you can do to improve it, even if only a little. You can't choose the situations you get put in but you can choose how to handle yourself in those situations."

"Everything in life isn't permanent. People change. Towns change. Even your feelings change. But the one thing that never changes is God. He is going to be your constant through so many trials of your life that you are going to question if you're even worthy of His love, and during those times of doubt is really when you're going to lean on Him."

"Always trust your instincts, and your heart."

"Live above reproach."

"Nothing is going to eat you. When you get stressed about school, bills, work, money, family, life, take a deep breath. You are going to be okay. You're not going to die."

"When someone shows you who they really are, believe them."

"Keep your damn mouth shut. Don't gossip."

"This too shall pass. Not just the bad times but the good times too. Tough it out in the hard times, and embrace the good because it too is a fleeting moment. Enjoy it.

"You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen more than you speak."

"Make friends with the janitor/secretary/doorman/anybody in a supporting role. You would be amazed at the things you can get done when these people are on your side and feel like you are on theirs. It will help you pull off things that other people said were impossible."

"Sometimes the only Bible anyone will read is your life. You have to be the small shining light in such a harsh cruel world. Sometimes your smile is the only one someone saw that day. In some instances you showing love or kindness to someone can make them reevaluate themselves and sometimes you being you and simply letting Christ shine out, could make all the difference. Be the light to a few to reach the multitude."

"No one can make you do anything you don't want to do. Your actions are your actions. Your decisions are your decisions. Your mistakes are your mistakes. Own up to what you do. You cannot put the blame on anyone else."

"Don't base your decisions off of someone else's experiences."

"When you try to please others, you end up unhappy. So do what makes you happy and don't try to conform to fit what someone else wants. It may make you happy short term but in the long term it only damages you."

"Think before you act. Think twice before you speak."

"You can't let big decisions rule your life. Give them to God. Give your worries to Him and trust Him. Pray about it, then listen to your heart and make the decision. Then stick with that decision and CONTINUE to pray about it. Then He will let you know if it was the right decision."

"You need to be able to live with yourself at the end of the day."

"Without God we cannot, and without God he will not."

"The glory of God is man living life to the full."

"Perfection is not the point where you can't get any better. Perfection is progress."

"Live your life in such a way that you leave a good legacy behind. What do you want people to remember about you when you are no longer here?"

"Try not to break more than one law at a time, OR don't get caught breaking more than one law at a time. Stay out of dark alleys. Drink milk. Stay in school. Don't do drugs."

Just some food for thought