At the ripe age of 19, most people out there might say that I'm young and that most of my life is still ahead of me. They'd be right and yes, I do hope that most of my life is still ahead of me. However, it doesn't change the fact that my two feet have been planted on this planet for almost two whole decades now. In those nineteen years, I've learned a lot about myself, about those around me, and about life in general. Here are nineteen lessons I've personally learned so far along my journey:

1. Just because it crosses your mind doesn’t mean it should cross your lips. No one is full of sparkling rainbows and unending joy and happiness all the time. We’ve all had some selfish, jerk-like, smart ass thoughts cross our minds once or twice (each day, for some of us.) But even so, it's possible to express your thoughts while still using a socially-appropriate and politically-correct filter. It’s just a part of growing up and entering the realm of adulthood; you have to learn that your words have powerful effects so you must learn to use them wisely. And despite what you may think, you really don’t have to be a dick, you really don’t.

2. Don’t hold in your ideas. Sometimes, it’s immensely challenging to speak up for yourself or share your opinion with others. Maybe it’s difficult because you’re scared of having your idea rejected or perhaps you’re apprehensive about being judged for it. Yes, these are definite possibilities. I’ve learned over and over again, though, that it’s far better to be courageous and offer up whatever you have to share because you’ll feel a lot worse if you keep your mouth shut later on. Some of the best ideas come from the most unexpected places — go with your gut and don’t hold back.

3. Always keep a planner. If you’re anything like me, your brain consists of a jumbled up mess of thoughts. Some of these thoughts eventually get recycled and lost in the mess of it all, while other ones (the unimportant ones, of course) like the entire list of lyrics to the song, “Big Butts,” by Sir Mix-A-Lot, remain permanently ingrained forever. That being said, over the course of the last nineteen years, I’ve learned that keeping a regularly updated planner/agenda/calendar has allowed me to remember dates, events, and all of the important to-dos that my brain would otherwise completely dispose of. Organization can truly bring a sense of peace and stability to one’s daily life, as well.

4. 99 percent of the time, your parents are right. Sure, we all somewhat go through that rebellious, bratty, “I don’t care — I’m gonna get my belly button pierced without your permission” stage during our teenage years. At that time in my life, I remember thinking that my parents just didn’t understand or remember what it was like to be a teenager. However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve reflected back on some the decisions I made and experiences I had during those years and realized that my parents often gave me advice back then that I wish I would have listened more closely to. Parents aren’t always trying to be the party-poopers who “ruin the fun.” The truth of the matter is they’re your biggest support systems and they only want to see you prosper.

5. Friendships — like plants — need to be nurtured to stay alive. Friendships are powerful bonds that take a significant amount of time and energy to build. Likewise, they take a lot of time and energy to maintain, too. Calling up friends who live a large distance away regularly, checking in with friends by sending a quick “how’re you doing?” text, or snapchatting that friend who had the same Biology class as you last semester might seem easy enough, but in reality, life can get hectic and good intentions to keep in contact might fade into the background. In order to keep new and old friendships alive and blooming, I’ve learned that you must actively partake in communicating regularly with your friends, whether they are close by or far away.

6. Forgiving is not the same as condoning. Forgiveness is a tremendously difficult task to tackle, I’ve learned throughout my nineteen years. It has felt like by forgiving someone, I am condoning whatever they’ve done. It’s important to note, though, by holding a grudge not only are you preventing yourself from moving on, but you’re carrying a huge weight around with you wherever you go. Releasing that weight and choosing to forgive may not always feel like the right thing to do, but believe me, it’s the only way you can truly allow yourself to be happy and free. If not for the sake of the other person, forgiving is something you should do for yourself.

7. Animals can truly be members of the family. Pets can honestly grow so close to you that they become family members, essentially. Pets are beautiful creatures, not only because of their undying loyalty to their owners and the genuine excitement they show every time we come home, but because of the bountiful love they shower us with. They are creatures that live for the purpose of being parts of our families. My own dog, Mojo, is a Yorkshire Terrier that we’ve had since I was nine-years-old. Now at nineteen, I can confidently say that Mojo is not only my dog, but a creature I can rely on for a loving, toothy, "only a dog can love you this much" smile, and the perfect cuddle buddy for a mid-afternoon nap.

8. Go big or go home when it comes to goals. Have you ever heard someone tell you that you have a “pipe dream?” I certainly have. But you know what? What’s wrong with dreaming big? If you hold yourself back by only shooting for small goals that you know are attainable, than you’re not reaching your full potential. Don’t be the biggest roadblock in your path! Be a go-getter. In most of the moments in which I’ve reached for the stars, I’ve surprised myself by attaining the “out-of-reach” goals I was yearning for.

9. Caffeine is a gift from above. In nineteen years on this planet, I’ve learned that if I can’t rely on anything else as a constant in my life, I can at least rely on coffee. Coffee has not only been proven to provide a few health benefits (in the right portions, might I specify), but it also can be transformed into a tasty assortment of Starbucks drinks, which price tags successfully nibble away at my bank account slowly, but surely.

10. There’s gonna be times when you’re the butt of the joke. If you can’t laugh at yourself, then who can you really laugh at? We all do dumb things, trip on our own two feet, and literally put the “awko” in “taco,” at times. We’re human beings; we’re not perfect. I’ve learned that sometimes the best way to recover from an embarrassing moment is to laugh at myself and not take life too seriously. Sure, it’s humiliating to face plant on the ice and sure, it’s no fun to find out you had a piece of spinach stuck in your teeth all day, but it’s happened and will continue to happen to all of us. Don’t get your undies in a twist over it.

11. On the outside, looks can be deceiving. There are some seemingly perfect people out there, that’s for sure. Those people who seem to always have it all together — the white-picket fenced yard, the 2.5 children, the perfect smile, perfect face, perfect body, perfect job, perfect everything-and-anything you can possibly think of. The fact is, though, no one’s life is perfectly perfect. We all are fighting our own battles, whether they are visible externally or hidden away inside of us internally. No one has a perfect life. Envy is an evil creature that lurks within us and causes us to behave in ways we know are not right. So if you feel the little green monster sneaking up on you, take a step back to remind yourself that no one is perfect and no one feels perfect all of the time.

12. It’s not always easy to be patient, but it’s worth it. When you are looking forward to something, it always makes the time preceding it drag on for what feels like centuries. When I was younger, it used to be summer vacation or the day we opened Christmas presents. Now that I’m older, the things I tend to look forward to are a bit less specific and planned down to the date… things like graduating college, buying my own house and getting to go ham decorating it like I’m on HGTV, getting married in a pretty, little church, and having a family to call my own. These are things that, yes, are exciting, but they are also things that I know will pay off to be patient for in the long run. By not rushing towards important milestones in my life, exciting as they may be, I will truly be able to confidently and wholly enjoy them when I do finally reach them.

13. Letting go doesn’t equal giving up. We all find ourselves in points in our lives where we feel we are sitting at a crossroads. We have two options: to keep pushing through and fight like hell or to let go and accept we can no longer go on. Not every time, but sometimes, it is the right choice to let go. Whether it’s letting go of someone we love, letting go of a possession, or letting go of a dream, hope, or wish. Never is this an easy thing to do and usually it feels like you are giving up and throwing in the towel. Letting go is not the same, though. Letting go is accepting the fact that you are not strong enough to move on. At times, it can be about being truly honest with yourself.

14. At times, swearing is necessary to make a point. Honestly, I’m not personally a proponent of cussing. I usually find it fairly un-classy when a person speaks and every other word that leaves their lips is of the vulgar sort. But sometimes, it’s just necessary to throw in a strategically-placed F-bomb, y’know? It’s just vital when you need to pack the punch in that punchline of the joke you’re telling or to make a point that you’re very serious about the statement you're making.

15. Karma is real. If you aren’t superstitious, then you’re most likely rolling your eyes right now as you read this. But guess what? I’m not superstitious, either. However, I’ve seen it proven time and time again that karma will come back to haunt you and bite you in behind. On the other hand, good karma is real, too. So watch what you say and do, because you never know how it could impact you later on in your future.

16. The person you should have the most respect for is yourself. Sadly, people will not always show you the respect you deserve in this life. All human beings, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, or background deserve some form of respect, a form of basic dignity. However, there is no written rule or law that provides each of us with respect from every human we come across throughout our lives. So I encourage you to respect yourself, regardless of whether or not others do. Treat your mind, body, and soul with respect, and no one can take that away from you.

17. Your siblings will always and forever annoy the living daylights out of you. When I was a teenager, I longed for the days when I would be jokingly talking to my siblings about our childrens’ quarrels or telling each other funny stories’ about our workplace drama. However, the annoying little brothers that I had then are the same annoying little brothers I have now. Don't get me wrong; I love them to death and will always be there when they need my help, but siblings will always be your siblings, which is code word for “they’ll always drive you insane and make you want to put them up for adoption.”

18. Life will knock you down and it’s okay to just lay there for a little while. We all have moments when it feels like nothing can possibly go right and our life literally has a death wish for us (no pun intended). It sucks — I’ve been there a time or two and I can assure you it’s the worst. Whatever has got you at your wit’s end might make you feel like you're walking through Hell. You're likely to feel drained and hopeless over the course of your lifetime. There's nothing wrong with that. Allow yourself to throw a little self-pity party once in awhile. Don’t be afraid to indulge in a Netflix movie marathon and stuff your face with on-sale Valentine’s chocolates that you bought for yourself after a bad day. Don’t hesitate to listen to a dramatically depressing Avril Lavigne song and stare out your car window as raindrops patter against it on the other side of the glass (totally not speaking from personal experience here). We all have those moments. We all have those times that we need to embrace the sadness in our lives. In order to experience true joy, we must have sadness in our lives as well.

19. Life passes by too damn quick. So eat that extra slice of pizza, splurge on that new camera you've been eyeing for awhile, or treat yourself to that manicure you want, but don't need. Life is far too short to limit yourself and hold back. One day you might be here, but just as easily, the next you could be gone. Pursue your passions, go for your goals, and don’t let yourself be limited by anyone or anything, especially by yourself. The days go by slow, but I can assure you if nothing else on this list is true, the years will go by fast.