1. Stop blaming yourself for things that aren't your fault.
Don't be so hard on yourself. Some things are just out of your hands. There's no control over a lot of what happens in this life. It's hard to accept, but realizing that not everything is your fault will help you heal.
2. You can cry.
Cry. Cry long and cry hard. Let yourself be aware of what you are feeling in that moment. Be awake. Be here now. It's okay to cry; we are human.
3. Never give up.
Whatever it may be right now: college, career, high school bullies, cancer or even your dreams. Whatever it may be, never give up. Keep trying and going.
4. It's okay to make mistakes.
It's okay if you mess up. We are supposed to mess up. If you never make a mistake, then you will never learn. You will never grow if you don't let yourself fall.
5. You are beautiful.
You are beautiful. You.
6. It's going to be fine, mostly.
I stopped saying, "It's going to be okay" because sometimes it's not going to be okay. And you know what? That's okay! It's normal to experience things that are unfortunate.
7. There's a difference between goals and plans.
Life is filled with unpredictable events. We set goals to reach for things, but we have to plan things to get to the goals. Some times those plans tend to get messed up in the process and we get lost on our way to our goal we were trying to reach. But, that was a plan. There will always be a plan b, c, d, e, etc. Just because things don't go as the way that they plan doesn't mean you stop on your goals.
8. Love yourself to the fullest.
Learn to be your best friend. I know this is cheesy, but it's also the only way you can truly grow; learning what you like and what you don't like. Because in the end, it's just you against the world, so you might as well be your own cheerleader.
9. Do what you love at least once a day.
You'll go insane otherwise, and honestly, you start to loose your sense of self. So at least10 minutes out of your day do something that you love.
10. Listen.
The best way to learn something is to make mistakes, but also, listen. In listening, you can hear other people's stories and challenges. You start to appreciate people more and understand why some people are on edge.
Follow all of this and it will make you aware, and awake. But that's for another time for me to explain.