With my birthday being in 4 days here's a list of important things I've learned these last 18 years.
Always bring back up shoes.
Whether it's a dance or just hanging out with your friends you never know when you're gonna need another pair of shoes. I can't even tell you how many times I wished I brought shoes, after years of this I finally started bringing shoes. Best decision ever.
Always trust your morals.
Many people will give you advice, and you can choose to listen to them, but the only thing you can do is trust your own past and what has formed your morals. Stick to them, you know the outcomes of the situation you have been in before don't make the same mistake again.
Be the person that you would want to be friends with.
One of my friends a while back gave me this advice, and I think it's the best thing I have ever learned. Not only has this helped me discover who I truly am and forced me to step out of my comfort zone, but it also makes me appreciate my friends so much more.
Just because someone has different hobbies than you doesn’t mean that they are less of a person.
Not everyone is going to like the same things as you, and just because they don't doesn't mean they're weird or mean. In fact, it makes them so much more interesting. They are the people that can teach you new things and open your eyes to the world.
Treating yourself is okay once in a while.
We all have bad days where you just want to curl up with a bucket of ice cream and watch movies all night, and that's okay!
Life continues with or without you so why not make it count.
Life is always going to be busy, there will never be a break. You need to learn that there is more to life than school, work, or a significant other. Don't get me wrong sometimes those things are great but think about how great it is when you do something a little different. You don't want your life to be a repeat of something every day.
The best cookies come out a little underdone.
After years of trying to perfect my cookie recipe, I have finally figured out that the best cooking time is 11 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you take the cookies out you leave them to cool for about 20 minutes. This gives you a soft cookie. Your welcome.
Invest in an actual perfume.
When I say this I don't mean bath and body works $20 perfume. I mean a classy, expensive perfume. By only using this for special occasions it can give you a sort of confidence that cheap perfumes can't.
Everyone has their own stories, don’t try to force them to have yours.
If you are going through a rough patch in your life, do not try and force your friends to experience it with you. Your life is your own. The most you should do is talk to them about it and get their advice or ask them to comfort you.
Always ask questions.
I myself am a very curious person by nature. I like learning new things. This has given me a huge advantage in life. Not only do I learn things very quickly when I ask questions but when I see something that doesn't look right I know right away that something is off weather I'm looking at a person's actions or in biology class. It's okay to have questions. It's okay to not know something. Use it as a chance to learn.
People learn at their own pace.
Speaking of learning, not everyone gets things as quickly as you do. You need to be patient with other people. If you are handing out advice to someone who may have been in a similar situation you need to remember that they aren't always going to listen to you. And when that fails you need to comfort them instead of saying I told you so.
You should be happy with who you are.
This took me a long time to learn. Eventually, you'll realize that you're a pretty cool person and anyone that knows you personally will most likely say the same thing. You may not look or act like everyone else but that just means you have a different set of skills than others do.
People's opinions about you and your life don't matter.
People don't know what you do in your day to day life, only you know what you're doing or thinking all the time. So if only you know what's going on with you, why are you still allowing what other people think about you, bother you?
Don’t take up bad habits.
The thing with bad habits is they are so easy to pick up but so hard to get rid of. So save yourself the trouble and try not to pick any up.
Do things that make you feel good.
Your life is about you, what makes you happy? Now go do those things. Don't waste your life away on something that you hate. In the long run, it will make your life so much more fun and enjoyable. Do what makes you feel the way your favorite song makes you feel.
Your whole life is not high school.
This goes for people still in high school and people who love to relive high school. Your life does not revolve around your high school days. Do what you have to do, but once you're done get out of the house.
People can change for good or bad.
If someone changes for the worse it doesn't mean you have to be friends with them still. If you don't relate or agree with them don't stay.
Take pictures of everything.
In 20 years I promise you won't remember everything you've done.
