B. Davis was one of the few fictional characters who taught me something about myself -- about who I should be, about who I wanted to be. She reminded me to believe in myself and to believe in my work. She promised me that I am who I am, no excuses, and that my work matters. Brooke Davis will forever hold a special place in my heart because of her resilience, heart, and passionate spirit.

1. She reminded us that in order to spend time missing someone and wondering if that person should be a part of our lives, they need to miss us, too.

2. She taught us to overcome society's labels.

Brooke Davis knew what she wanted and where was going and no one was going to stop her. She knew that every single person walking by her would judge her, label her, or stick her in a category. But most importantly, she knew those labels didn't mean anything because they were not who she was. Brooke knew that it doesn't matter what others think of you as long as you know what you think of yourself. You are the only person who can judge you or label you. You are the sole proprietor of yourself, therefore your opinion matters and everyone else is irrelevant.

3. Sometimes she felt like feeling nothing and simply surviving was better.

Everyone has the right to their own happiness. If you want a serious relationship, be in one. If you don't want to feel, and you want a casual relationship, have one. If you only want a relationship with yourself, have it. Brooke Davis reminds us what it feels like to have our hearts broken, how devastating it feels to try and find someone to replace that hurt. Sometimes we try to stop feeling in order to cope with the pain, the loss, but in the end she overcame the pain and found her way back to happiness. It's okay to shut it all off, but remember that happiness is waiting for you and feeling nothing is only a temporary cure.

4. She told us to always find our happy place.

Wherever you want to be, be there. Whichever place makes you happy, be there. You deserve that, everyone does. Not every place is for everyone, some need noise and some need quiet. Some need light and some need darkness. Find the place that makes you a happier, brighter person with the people you love and be a part of that place.

5. She reminded us that we are ephemeral beings.

Nothing lasts forever. In a split second, life can change forever and all we can do is watch it happen while we are taken along for the ride. Brooke reminds us to say what we need to say, and say it with our whole hearts. Don't wait to tell the people you love how much they mean to you. Live your life making sure that everyone knows how you feel about them, leave nothing to chance. Stop being afraid of speaking your heart.

6. She knew she was worth it.

Some people are worth fighting for. That includes you, make sure your person is fighting for you every single day. The only way to keep you is to keep chasing you even after they already have you. If they don't fight for you, if they can live without you, then you too can live without them. You are worthy of being fought for.

7. She taught us to take chances on love, even when our hearts have been broken.

Brooke Davis had her heart shattered into a million tiny pieces in high school. Since then, it was almost impossible for her to let anyone in. Yet somehow along the way, love found its way back to her and she realized it was time to open up her heart again. You may think love comes around rarely and that the person you are with now is the only one left for you. It's not true, love will come back to you. True love always finds its way to you, in the strangest moments when you least expect it. You have to be willing to let it in.

8. She made sure we all knew that it was okay to be ourselves. No excuses.

You are who you are. No excuses. Be yourself, stop putting on a persona that isn't you. You are not a mask, you are simply you. There is only one you in the whole world so stop trying to be like everybody else. Don't make up excuses for yourself. You are valuable. Your personality is essential. You are who you are and no one should ask for anything different.

9. She knows how it feels to think about the future.

College brings to many options about the future to light. It is a vast world of possibilities and sometimes you just don't know where to begin. The future can be scary but always live in the present knowing that the chips will fall where they may and eventually your heart will lead you to where you are meant to be.

10. She knew most of the time all we need is a little hope.

Life throws things at us that seem never ending and insanely unfair. Brooke reminded us to have faith and keep a little sliver of hope within us every day because in the end things always get better.

11. She affirmed to us that people who are meant to be, always find their way back to each other.

Brooke believed in destiny and knew that in the end things would work out in her favor, no matter which way the universe chose to lead her.

12. "She grew more in two years than anyone I had ever known."

She taught us to believe in ourselves and our talents. Every single one of us has the potential to change the world.

13. She stopped letting boys define her and set her standards high.

Every single one of us is beautiful, but neither "beautiful" nor "pretty" are the only words that define us. We are each so much more than a single description. We are multidimensional and exceptional individuals who deserve so much more than a guy who thinks we are merely pretty.

14. She understood how to find herself again.

You can choose to be whoever you want to be. If you don't quite like the person you are becoming, change it. Who you are and how you define yourself is only up to you.

15. She never settled for anything less than what she knew she deserved.

She reminded us to follow our dreams with our whole hearts and pursue our happiness without letting anyone stop us.

16. She said exactly what we are all thinking out loud.

We are all afraid of not being enough. We always have to be on our A game with perfect faces, perfect bodies, and perfect minds. Brooke reminded us of our fears, yet in the end she overcame those fears and realized that being yourself is always enough.

17. She reminded us to give chances even when there were none left to give.

Her heart and her spirit made her a truly memorable character. She never gave up on the people she loved, no matter how much they hurt her. Her selflessness and huge heart are admirable and astounding.

18. She was afraid of being alone.

She taught me to have faith in myself and know that in the end things will work out just like they should. We cannot control the future but every single one of us has a beautiful story just waiting to come to fruition. She overcame everything life threw at her and rose above it all to become a kind, loyal, and successful businesswoman, wife, and mother.

19. She figured out what life was all about.

Brooke reminds us that success means nothing if we have no one to share it with. Private planes and expensive champagne won't cure our ills, they are only temporary. She realized that the true meaning of life is to love what you do and have someone you love beside you supporting you through it all.

20. She proved that you are not defined by who you were in high school.

High school you does not define you for the rest of your life. Most us spent four years trying to figure out who we were and what we wanted. Many of us did things we weren't proud of or things we wish we had done differently if we knew better. High school was a trial and error period for some. Brooke Davis went from being known as the wild party girl to a successful entrepreneur, student body president, loving wife, and devoted mother. High school is not the end all be all. We all need some time to figure out how to "adult." She reminded us that we can change who we are, change who we want to be, and most importantly we can our story and write it the way we want to write it.