Last Friday I turned 21 years old and I decided to reflect on the many things that I learned during the past 21 years of my life. These are only a few of them.
1. Take the time to do things that you enjoy instead of working all the time.
There's a lot of truth behind the old saying "work hard play hard." I spend a lot of time studying, but I have slowly started to learn that it is okay to take breaks and nights off to hang out with friends or spend some time by myself relaxing. Taking some time to yourself will actually help you in the long-run mentally, physically, and emotionally.
2. Sometimes it's better to get a normal amount of sleep instead of staying up all night studying.
Like I said in the previous point, I spend a lot of time studying. I have learned that if I study past a certain point of time then I tend to not retain anything that I am trying to study. When I get a decent amount of sleep, though, I tend to feel better and learn and retain more information.
3. It is okay to say "no."
There might be a point in which a lot of people are asking you for favors or to do things with them, and it might become overwhelming at times. You might not have time to do everything that people want you to do so it is okay to say no sometimes instead of over-committing yourself by trying to do everything that people ask of you. In my own experience, I have seen that people prefer you to tell them no to something up front instead of agreeing to it and backing out later.
4. Whatever it is, Mom was probably right about it.
The phrase, "mother is always right" is not wrong, because no matter the situation she was most likely right about it. You might not want to listen to what she has to say at first, but I can tell you from experience that you will probably later tell her that she was right; even if you don't want to.
5. Get involved, whether it's organizations in your school or in your church.
I have been able to meet so many amazing people, and experience so many amazing things by getting involved with clubs both in high school and college. Through this, I have been able to travel to so many different places, like New Orleans. I've had so many amazing experiences, like being in a play and met some new friends that will probably be with me for a long time. There are many opportunities to get involved; you just have to figure out which one is right for you.
6. Don't be afraid to try new things.
If you had told me back in high school that I would be playing intramural sports in college, I would have looked at you like you were crazy because I know that I am not athletic. But I decided to try them because a friend asked me to, and now they are honestly some of my favorite things to do. Do not be afraid to try new things because you might actually really enjoy them!
7. Take a chance on the person who wants to go out with you even if they are not the kind of person you typically go out with.
I told myself at the beginning of last semester that I would not date anyone that semester because of how busy that was going to be. Well, that all changed when my mother and some of my friends convinced me to go out with a guy who asked me out...now we have been dating for over three months. Sometimes different is good, so give the guy who's different than the guys you typically go for a chance. You never know what will happen.
8. Don't spend all of your time studying during finals week.
Seriously, don't. This might be the last week that you see some of your friends for awhile so be sure to set aside some time to hang out with them. You should still study some so that you are ready for you final exams but also give yourself some study breaks.
9. Surround yourself with people who are both different from you and similar to you.
The people who you hang out with can play a major role in your life so it is good to surround yourself with both people who are similar to you and people who are different from you. You can have similar experiences with the people who are similar to you but you can learn a lot from the people who are different than you. It is good to have a little bit of both so that way they can help you grow as a person.
10. You might get C's in college and that is okay.
Many times high school grades are inflated with busy work and extra credit, so they do not truly reflect whether or not you actually learned the class material. Some college classes on the other hand might be primarily test-based so there is no busy work to help your grade. As a result, your grades might be lower in college than they were in high school because college is supposed to be harder than high school. Sometimes C's really do get degrees.
11. You might lose friends over time and that is okay.
People will walk out of your life for a variety of reasons and that is okay. It is okay if you are no longer friends with some of your high school friends, because you have probably changed as a person and so have they. You will meet plenty of other people in college and in your workplace that are easier to relate to than some of your old high school friends.
12. People will probably disagree with you and that is also okay.
If everyone agreed on everything, then the world would be a very boring place. It is okay to disagree with people because through talking about your differing opinions you are able to learn where you truly stand on an issue while also learning about the person you are talking to. You can still be in a relationship or be friends with someone even if you do not agree on everything.
13. Do not let the opinion of others stop you from doing the things you love.
Do not let the fear of what others might think of you stop you from doing whatever it is that you love. If people make fun of your dancing, but you love to dance, dance anyway because in the end what they have to say about it really does not matter. People will judge you, but that should not stop you from doing what you enjoy doing.
14. It is okay to ask for help from someone.
If you are struggling with a certain situation, it is okay to ask someone who has gone through something similar for advice. I have learned that talking to people who are familiar with my anxiety has helped me because not only can I use their advice to help myself, I also know that they care about me since they want to help me.
15. Travel as much as you can.
The world is such a huge place filled with so many different kinds of cultures and people so I recommend that everyone try to travel at least once either out of your city, state, or county in order to see how life is somewhere else.
16. Treat everyone well even if they do not treat you well back.
Not everyone will treat you well and that is a fact of life. This does not mean that you do not need to treat others well though. Gossiping, spreading rumors, insulting and seeking revenge never accomplish anything. You should always try to be a good person even if you are not treated well in return.
17. It is okay to treat yourself.
I hate spending money sometimes, but I have learned that it is okay to treat myself when I accomplish something important like making it through finals week. Treating yourself can be something as simple as ice cream or something as complex as a cruise! Figure out something ahead of time so that way you can use it to motivate you to get done whatever you need to get done.
18. Don't let your past get in the way of your present.
Yes, your past does help to shape you as a person but it should never get in the way of your present or future. Don't let something that happened to you in the past keep you from doing something because you are scared that it will happen again.
19. Don't worry about the future.
I have to admit that this is something that I seriously struggle with. I have to remind myself though that only God knows what will happen in the future and all worrying does is take time away from the present.
20. Always have faith in yourself
How can you expect others to have faith in you if you do not have faith in yourself? Have faith in yourself that you will be successful in all that you do and even if you are not successful in everything you will be successful in a lot of things.
21. Stay true to yourself in all that you do
Nobody likes a person who acts fake all the time. Be yourself around everyone and stick up for what you believe in. Do not do anything that you would not be proud of because someone told you to do it. Stay true to yourself and you will attract the right kind of people that should be in your life.
