This past year has been one of great change and full of learning opportunities. I've grown so much as a person and here are some of the things that I have learned throughout this year. Obviously some we learned at a young age, but never really gave much thought to or saw the true value in until later in life. Here is a list of 19 things I have learned at the age of 19:

1. Respect is everything.

2. Kindness is so important.

3. You never know what someone else is going through.

4. You have to stand up for yourself.

5. Sometimes you have to be selfish.

6. You don’t have to be friends with everyone.

7. Going the extra mile is worth it.

8. Saying “Please” and “Thank You” isn’t hard, but a lot of people don’t do it.

9. Things aren’t always as they seem.

10. It’s okay to not be okay.

11. Leaning on your friends is okay, but being purely dependent on them is not.

12. Set goals and chase them.

13. Change is inevitable.

14. At the end of the day, you have to be content with the person you are.

15. Honesty is the best policy.

16. Do what makes you happy.

17. Asking for help does not make you of the lesser.

18. Being rude is usually unnecessary… but sometimes it is totally necessary.

19. Life is what you make it.