I turned 20 over the weekend. I have officially been on this earth for two decades...that is a scary thought to me. But, I am also extremely thankful for the life I have been given. I have been through quite a lot in my life so far and have learned a lot after being alive for 20 years. Here are 20 lessons I've learned in 20 years of life.
20. Friends may come and go, but the true ones will always stick around.
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I have been blessed with many friends in my life, but there are some friendships that have changed over the years and I have eventually grown apart from. But, it doesn't mean that I don't appreciate their friendship. Every friend I have had has helped me become the person I am today, and I couldn't be more thankful for that.
19. Life is precious.
My birthday is a good day to reflect on my life and the fact that I almost didn't have one. I was born three months early and almost didn't make it. But, I am so very blessed to have life and I am so grateful I am here today, 20 years later. This has taught me to be thankful for the life I have, no matter how difficult it can be at times.
18. Change is inevitable.
I am not good with change. In fact, I hate change. I like things to stay exactly the same, but everyone knows that isn't possible. When changes in my life have come up, I have learned to go through them and to embrace them as they come. As I continue to get older, there will be even more changes that come, but I just need to roll with the punches and accept things the way they are and the way they will soon be.
17. Tough situations will make me stronger.
I have had my fair share of hardships in my life just like anyone else. But if I've learned one thing from it all, it is that I have come out stronger through every single hard time in my life. Sure, it was hard while I was in it, but those tough times allowed me to grow stronger and I showed myself that I can make it through anything and come out a stronger person because of it.
16. Everything happens for a reason.
This is probably one of the biggest lessons I've learned so far. I don't really believe in coincidences. I think that everyone is here for a reason and the things that happen to us, big or small, have a reason as well. We may not see that reason right away, but we will see once we put the pieces together.
15. If I have faith, anything is possible.
My Catholic faith has taken me this far in life. I would not be the person I am today without it. I have also been fortunate to have role models in my life that have shown me that having faith will allow me to achieve anything I put my mind to. It is because of my faith that I am studying theology and pursuing a career as a campus minister when I graduate. It is the most important thing about me and I love my faith.
14. I can plan and plan all I want, but it's God's plans that will prevail.
Along with having a strong faith, I also need to believe that God has my back. I love to plan out my life, and I get frustrated when things don't go as I planned. But, I have learned over the years that what I want isn't always what God wants for my life. It's a lesson I still need to remind myself of, but it's also an important one.
13. It's better to take it one day at a time.
Not only have I learned to take it one day at a time, but I have also learned how difficult this is. This year at school I have been trying to take every day as it comes, but sometimes I start to worry about what's coming next week or next month, or even next year. I have learned that taking it slow is the best way to not let my worries get the better of me. Even though it's hard to do, it's a lesson I have learned to live by.
12. Never take anything for granted.
I have been given a lot in my life. I have had a great education so far, I have two parents that love me, two places to call home, a great sister, wonderful friends, and a strong romantic relationship. There are many people in this world that don't have as much as I have and I sometimes forget this. I need to remember to count my blessings and to give to those who have less than me.
11. Thinking positive will make life better.
I've been told that I am a positive influence on people. I can always give positive advice and be a positive role model. Thinking positively will make things not seem so bad. Even when things seem tough, I know that everything will work out in the end somehow and that everything will be OK.
10. Music makes everything better.
Music is a huge part of my life. I wouldn't be the same person without it. Singing has been something I've always done. I have learned that it can be a huge stress-reliever and can lift my spirits. I often turn to music in times of need and it always helps.
9. Growing up can be scary, sometimes.
Being 20 years old is a scary thought to me. Being an adult comes with a lot of responsibilities. But growing up also means having a husband and family and I can't wait to have that. There are good and scary things about growing up, but I have learned that it will be OK and I will learn how to be an adult as I continue to grow up.
8. I really can be independent.
Before I got to college, I didn't think I was going to be able to make it on my own. But I quickly learned last year that I can be independent, sometimes too independent. I learned to do things on my own I never thought I could. But like everyone else, I still call my mom when I need help. But being able to be independent as I go through college has given me a lot of confidence for the future.
7. Never give in to virus scams on your computer.
This is more of a funny/embarrassing lesson. To make a long story short, over the summer, I thought I actually had a virus on my computer because it told me I did. I called the number on the screen and someone installed a software on my computer that was very expensive. I got my money back eventually, but I definitely learned this one the hard way. If they ask for information, don't give it to them and hang up the phone.
6. Living alone is lonely.
Over the summer, I lived in my house by myself while my mom and sister were in Northern Michigan. I was really excited to see what it was like to live on my own and to have more responsibility, but I quickly learned that it can be lonely at times. It taught me that I would never want to do that as an adult because, even though I am an introvert, I don't like being alone 24/7.
5. It's OK to not be OK.
Life is challenging at times. There have been times in my life where I haven't felt like myself and I haven't always been OK, but I know that it's Ok to not be OK. I don't have to be happy all day, every day. Life doesn't work that way. But in those times, I know that I will again be happy and OK and life will go on.
4. Study smarter, not harder
This semester has been kicking my butt so far. Nineteen credit hours, working nine hours a week at a job, and extracurricular activities can be a lot for someone. It took me a while to adjust to the workload and to manage my time. When my grades started slipping, I knew I needed to do something about it, so I changed the way I studied. I needed to study smarter, and it paid off. And now I have better study skills for the rest of college.
3. Take breaks whenever possible.
Last year, I would rarely take breaks as I was studying and I would run myself into the ground. It was very stressful and not healthy for me. But as the year went on, I learned that, even if I didn't think I had time, taking a break was a good idea. That's when I created my blog to help me do something I enjoy and take a break from school. It helped a great deal and after I took that break to post on my blog, I was ready to keep going with my work.
2. Tomorrow has the chance to be better than today.
This is something my roommate taught me. Having bad days are part of life, but if I keep in mind that it's just a bad day, not a bad life, I will be able to make it through the day knowing that the bad day won't last forever.
1. Everything will work out the way it's meant to.
I would love it if my life always went the way I wanted to, but that doesn't always happen. But one thing I know for sure is that everything will work out the way it's meant to, even if it isn't what I thought I wanted. It took me a while to learn this, but it has helped me look at things more positively and to now that the outcome will be what it needs to be.
