Whether you watch "Parks and Recreation" religiously, or have watched an episode or two, it's hard to deny the impact of a unique character like Leslie Knope has on us. Throughout the series, she constantly inspires, never gives up and always puts others first in her small town of Pawnee, Indiana. And I think that is a fictional person (who we really wish was real) worth writing about and taking lessons from!

1. Be passionate about the things you love. Leslie loves a lot of things, but her main passions besides creating a better Pawnee and government include waffles, Ben's butt and scrapbooking — and she owns it. So no matter what you're into, shout it to the roof tops and share it with others, because it makes you who you are!

2. Always be honest with others. There was a reason every Pawnee employee would seek advice from Leslie, and she loved every minute of it. In general, it's always better to be honest with others as they say, "honesty is the best policy."

3. Stand your ground and don't let others walk all over you. Even if it got her in trouble, Leslie never backed down from a fight if it was something she truly believed in. When you work hard, you definitely deserve the respect, and that is something Leslie worked extremely hard to achieve. So never give up, and stand up for what you believe in!

4. Have confidence in yourself, because you're uniquely awesome! The best thing about Leslie Knope is that there is no one like Leslie Knope, and she knows it. She is vivacious, honest, and most importantly she was never afraid to show who she really was.

5. Love your girlfriends unconditionally. There's no denying that besides Leslie's love for government, she cherishes her girlfriends more than life itself. It's an important lesson to learn because in the end, it's the people you care about who matter the most in this crazy life and giving them that love and attention is important. This is Leslie's specialty that creates the best memories and makes Leslie really easy to rely on.

5. Follow your heart. Even when faced with potentially losing her job, Leslie stayed true to her heart when it came to Ben. It was obvious they were in love and perfect for each other. Her heart could not take being with him, and used all of her effort to make their relationship happen. In the end, it all worked out well because look how in love they are.

6. Never feel afraid to reach out, and ask someone for help. Throughout "Parks and Recreation," Leslie always strives on accomplishing tasks quickly, efficiently and independently, but found herself getting overwhelmed at some points with all the work she wanted to complete. She learned from her own mistakes — that everything cannot be accomplished alone — and it shows from all the success the Parks and Rec group had with planning major events. All the employees (even April) were willing to help Leslie out, because she would do the same.

7. It's completely okay to have bad days. If you work as hard as Leslie does at her job, it's hard and most likely impossible to stay completely sane and happy all the time. As positive as Leslie Knope is, she has had plenty of mental breakdowns, food binges and screaming matches with others.

8. Cherish every moment your life has to offer you. If there was one thing Leslie Knope was good at, it was making the best of every moment in her life. Even with the smallest of things, she made it feel like a huge accomplishment, which boosted her own and her co-workers' confidence. Life is short, and it would be a waste to spend it like Jeremy Jamm, because that's no way to live life.

9. And, don't be afraid to fall or fail miserably. There is always time to get up and keep pushing forward! There's no doubt that Leslie experienced her fair share of struggles during her time working for Pawnee's government, but she always managed to power through them and get back up again even stronger. There is no one or no pit she can't handle!

10. Always keep a piece of your young side, and keep on dancing. Every victorious moment in your life should have a victory dance like Leslie's.

11. But no matter how crazy life gets, know that it will always work out in the end. Leslie Knope demonstrates that life comes with roadblocks, imperfect moments and unexpected changes, but she handled every moment with grace, balance and excitement. She took everything as an opportunity to make it better, and I think that's a quality we all need to strive for.