My best friend and roommate is such an inspiration. Through every hard time she has had, she overcame and ended up on top. I learned recently that she writes letters to her boyfriend's sisters to help them through the hard times. This time, she was writing about life lessons and it got me thinking about what she has taught me these last three years that I've known her.

1. Give people the benefit of the doubt

You don't know people's stories or what their lives are like. If they are mean, realize that it might not be something you did, but you were just someone they felt safe expressing their emotions to.

2. Remember where people are coming from

Again, different people means different lives. Each of us have been taught something that another person may not agree with, be OK with that. Sometimes they will be right and other times you will be. Don't waste your breath to argue with someone who sees things differently.

3. Don't belittle someone else's experiences

No one likes to be treated as if their experiences don't matter. What is a huge deal to someone, may just be a grain of sand to another, but that doesn't mean the experience isn't valid. Let people know what they've been through is important and it is part of what has shaped them.

4. Sometimes you just need a hug

This is a lesson that you just come to understand, and it is something to use with caution. Not everyone wants to be touched, but some just need a hug when they can't tell you what they're feeling.

5. Be there for people, but it is OK to say no

Don't overwhelm or overextend yourself. It is important to be there for others, but you cannot help or care for them if you're not caring for yourself first.

6. Watching movies instead of homework is OK (sometimes)

Along with being overwhelmed, at some point during school, all you really need is a feel good movie to improve your mood.

7. It is OK to not know what to say

Surround yourself with people who don't mind if you can't answer their questions. Not everyone can come up with the words that need to be said all the time.

8. Best friends are there to cry with at 3 a.m.

There will come a time in your life when you hit rock bottom, that is where best friends come in. They are there to hold you while you cry and then give you a reason to smile.

9. Ice cream is always a good idea

This is self-explanatory. Ice cream fixes everything.

10. When in doubt, color

Coloring, along with ice cream, are the two best mood lifters. Coloring can portray any emotion or thought just to get it out of your head, or to show someone else.