In a few weeks, I will be turning 20 years old. It is crazy to me how fast time has flown by. In less than two weeks, I will no longer be a teenager. Obviously, through life we learn many different things, but some lessons stick out to me more than others. Here is a list of 20 lessons you should learn by the time you are 20 years old.
1. The world does not revolve around you.
Shocker, I know. Once you learn this, you will start to be able to care for others. You will also realize when things go wrong that it can be a lot worse.
2. You will lose people in your life.
Some people are worth fighting for in your life; others are not. If someone is causing more harm than good in your life, you need to say your goodbyes and part ways.
3. Stop comparing yourself to others.
Trust me, I want a body like a Victoria's Secret model as much as anyone else, but I don't have one. And that's OK. I have my body. Do I want a flatter stomach? Hell yes, I do. Stop wanting what others have. Want what you have, and if you are not happy with it, makes changes for you—not for anyone else.
4. Don't ever let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do.
When someone tells you that you cannot do something, you need to make it your biggest goal to prove them wrong. No one else knows what you truly can do except for yourself. Stop listening to others because they do not know what the hell they are talking about.
5. Fall in love with yourself.
One thing that will be constant in your life is yourself. You decide what happens in your life. If you do not love yourself, you will take yourself for granted. Love the weird birth mark on your ankle, love your obnoxious laugh, and love the way you live.
6. Learn to take compliments.
Personally, I believe it is so easy to give compliments. I do not think it is as easy to receive them. Learn to say thank you and mean it when someone says something they like about you. If they did not believe it, they would not waste their breath.
7. Learn that you are never alone.
You are never alone. There is always going to be someone thinking about you, loving you and missing you. You can push as many people out of your life as you want, you can believe that no one actually cares about you, but in all reality, that is only in your head. There is always someone there for you and that person might not be who you imagined it would be, but life does throw you curve balls sometimes.
8. There are never bad days; there are only bad moments.
There will never be a day in your life when only bad things will happen. It may suck that you got shampoo in your eye, are late to work or got a speeding ticket but it is not the end of your day.
9. You need to live your life with your cool cap off.
Stop trying to impress everyone. People can see right through you if you are not being genuine. If you take your "cool cap" off and start being you, you will automatically start to feel more cool.
10. Be ballsy.
If you truly want something in life, you need to be determined and get it yourself. You need to take chances to get what you want in life. You need to be more worried about "what if I never tried" rather than "what if I fail." Failing is easy; you have the outcome to the situation. If you never try something, you will always have that "what if" feeling when thinking about how a situation could have gone differently.
11. Cherish every moment in your life.
Make every minute count. You do not know how much time you have on this earth. You do not know how much time you have to actually do nothing, so take breaks when needed, but spend your days busy.
12. If you are asked to go out, do it.
You will never have a great story start with, "Remember that one Saturday when we stayed in and did nothing?" Oh you don't remember? Same. Go out and do fun things with your friends. Especially right now, when we are young and do not have many responsibilities! Go to the party even if you are not in a party mood.
13. Don't feel sorry for yourself.
Things will happen and they will suck. As soon as that one thing happens, it is over; stop throwing yourself a pity party. If whatever happens will not matter in six months from now, then learn from it and move on. No one wants to be around a Debbie Downer.
14. Your parents are not that bad.
Your parents are your first friends. Cherish that. They have stuck by your side for the past 20 years. There are not that many people that will stick by your side for that long.
15. Vulnerability does not make you weak.
As people, we often put up walls and try to push people out when something serious is going on in our lives. We are scared that we will think that we are weak. Being vulnerable is actually the complete opposite. It is hard to tell someone exactly how you feel.
16. Know your worth.
Know who you are and what you stand for. Do not let anyone take you for granted. You should never let anyone treat you like you are worthless.
17. Stop tearing others down to make yourself better.
Stop making fun of people for being ugly, dumb or whatever else you want to say about them. It speaks more on your character that you are looking at the worst in someone and calling them out for it. You are getting a false boost of confidence and it does not last forever.
18. Some people are just assholes.
There is nothing that will change them. If a person is just a downright asshole, remove them from your life because you do not need to be around someone that only makes your life worse.
19. People will remember you for your attitude.
People care about the way you act. If you are nice, people will remember that you are nice. If you are rude, people will remember that you are rude. If you are nice, they will also choose to stick their neck out for you. Always be nice to those who surround you.
20. If people bring you down, they are most likely jealous of you.
If someone is talking about you and their argument to not like you is because "you're so nice that you come off fake," it is because they are jealous of you. They want to be more like you. If people do not have a story of how you did something terrible to them, then they are just jealous of you. Do not let them bring you down. Instead, feel sorry that they have nothing better to do, but bring you down.
I have 20 years down and many more to go. I haven't learned all of the lessons to succeed in life, but I am getting there. Here's to 20 years!
