We've all heard the clichés- while some are actually encouraging, most are lackluster. While "try your best" can be what we want to hear, sometimes we really need to hear "throw the kitchen sink at them."

1. "You're going to have to toot your own horn, no one else is going to do it for you."

In high school, I often had a substitute teacher who hailed from Boston. She would come in and ask us questions each morning, rewarding us with nut bars, or as she liked to say, "chocolate poo-poo's." Most of the questions had to do with current events, and let me tell you, I knew every answer. But one day she surprised us all by asking, "What are your three favorite things about yourself?"

When no one could answer, she gave us the most valuable advice, "you're going to have to toot your own horn, no one else is going to do it for you." She's absolutely right, you have to be your own biggest fan before someone else will be.

2. "Love the stupid electrons!"

Last semester, I took one thing from my chemistry class- Love the stupid electrons.

You'll never be able to enjoy every aspect of something, there will always be something you wish you could change, something you wish was different, or something you just can't stand. Sometimes you just have to love the stupid little things in order to find true happiness.

3. "Throw the kitchen sink at them."

Disclaimer: Don't actually throw your kitchen sink at them.

Never hold back, give it all you've got and more. It's always better to do or say more than is asked of you, because you never know if what you have up next is exactly what someone (a boss, an interviewer, a professor) is looking for.

4. "Find the olive."

When faced with difficult situations, look for the olive, the burst of flavor among dry leaves. There is always a positive in everything, whether it be a lesson learned or a blessing in disguise. Focus on what you love and the rest will follow.

5. "Don't throw out the baby with the bath water."

Just because one thing goes wrong, doesn't mean everything is ruined.

6. "You can't assume without making an a** out of u and me."

Thinking back to this, I can picture the mouths of every ninth grader in my geometry class simultaneously dropping.

Over the years, I've found this to be more true than I'd ever imagined. The older you get, the less you know about the people around you. You'll never know exactly how someone feels or what they're going through. So never assume, just ask.