Ahh, my 20^th birthday has arrived! I feel excited about it, but also a little sad. For the first time, my age beings with the letter 2 and I’m officially out of my teens. I’ve learned a lot in the 2 decades I’ve been alive. I feel like I've learned a lot of valuable lessons so here are the 20 lessons I’ve learned in the 20 years of my life so far:

1. You will never get anything on the first try.

2. No one else is going to make you happy, you have to be happy with yourself first.

3. There is a brand new start every single day. One year equals three hundred and sixty-five new opportunities.

4. If you want to do something, then do it. You don’t want to look back on your life and regret not taking a chance.

5. You deserve the best of the best. The respect and love that you show yourself will show others how to treat you.

6. People will love you. People will hate you. And none of it will have anything to do with you.

7. If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you.

8. Do it, because someone told you that you couldn't.

9. Chase your dreams and goals.

10. Remind yourself that it's okay to not be perfect.

11. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to enemies, but it takes just as much to stand up for what you believe in.

12. It is important to take a step back every so often in order to breathe. You need to learn that it is okay to let go and trust that everything will work out.

13. Don't beat yourself up for not knowing something. You did not know and that is okay because you will grow and learn from it.

14. You were born to be real, not perfect.

15. Don't ever give up on anything.

16. Be proud of who you are.

17. Stay away from negativity.

18. If it's meant to be then it'll be.

19. Forgive and forget is the best medicine.

20. Get out of your head and into your heart, think less and do more.

I don't have regrets in my life, they're just lessons learned. Every day is a new day and a new start to better yourself for the future. Work hard, dream big, chase those dreams and always do the best that you can.