When I turned 19, I remember thinking it was probably going to be the most "irrelevant" age I would ever be. I was already an adult and could vote, but I hadn't yet entered my twenties or met the legal drinking age. Looking back, it's ironic that I didn't think I'd meet any milestones at 19. However, it turned out to be the most significant year of my life, thus far. I had experiences that taught me lessons I will keep with me all of my life, and I'm positive I wasn't alone in going through.
Here are 19 lessons you learn when you're 19:
1. Keep your inner circle small.
2. In order to understand someone’s evil, you’d have to be evil yourself.
3. Everyone changes.
4. Never jeopardize your future for temporary happiness.
5. Losing yourself is easy, recovery is hard
6. The most terrifying situations are the ones that we have no control over.
7. Love isn't always enough.
8. The most important relationship you’ll have is the one you have with yourself.
9. Don't put sh*t past anyone.
10. Emotional suppression is a temporary fix that leads to a long-term problem.
11. It’s okay sometimes for the only consistent thing about life to be its inconsistency.
12. Being a good listener is just as important as being articulate.
13. In the end, being able to find humor in even your worst moments is all you can really do.
14. It can always get worse; but it can always get better, too. Depending on where you decide to go.
15. Trust the people who have nothing to gain from you.
16. Falling in love changes you, but surviving its loss is what defines you.
17. Accepting defeat is the only way to move past it.
18. Always trust what your gut is telling you.
19. There is no such thing as invincibility.
