"Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek."
-- Dalai Lama XIV

Over the course of 21 years, I have learned entirely too many things to list in a single article. My life has been full of wonderful knowledgeable people who have taught me many great things; but the three most important lessons I have gained in my short life are to always wake up happy as well as thankful to be alive and healthy, always remember that material items have little to no value, and to never judge anyone. I use these lessons as rules to which I live my life, day by day. With these three concepts in mind, I feel that I live my life harmoniously and full of happiness.

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
-- Mahatma Gandhi

Everyone deserves to wake up with a smile on their face with hopes that their day is going to be everything that they wished for and more. We should all be able to get up in the morning without any regards to our past mishaps and live entirely in the present, because just as Gautama Buddha said, "there is only one moment for you to live, and that is the present moment." The future is not here yet, and the past is already gone so a good reminder when you are first waking up is to be joyful that you did, in fact wake up, and to rejoice that hopefully you woke up with great health.

"Pain is certain, suffering is optional."
"Attachment leads to suffering."
-- Gautama Buddha

Most Americans take their lives for granted because they cling to material items such as the television or cellphones, and their greatest fear is using too much data due to not having Wi-Fi. We have not experienced the pain that those in true turmoil have, such as war-torn people or those living in third world countries. Instead of taking what we in the United States have for granted, we should be ultimately grateful that we are lucky enough to be in a place where we do not live in fear of not waking up tomorrow. In America, there are resources that help people find housing or even give those who do not have money to afford food a meal. We need to be more conscious of our surroundings, resources, and this amazing Earth which we get to call home. We also need to be more caring towards one another and the time that we have to spend with the ones we love. Give what you can and never expect anything in return. Be humble.

"If I go into the place in myself that is love, and you go into the place in yourself that is love, we are together in love. Then you and I are truly in love, the state of being love. That's the entrance to oneness."
-- Ram Dass

If there is one piece of advice that I would give to the younger generations, it would be to never judge. As young adults, we live in a society where everyone discriminates one another over their looks or where they come from. Thin people make fun of those who are larger, and larger people make fun of those who are thin; people commit hate crimes because they have a different pigmentation in their skin or a different religion. Last time I checked, almost every person on the face of this Earth has one heart, one brain, and pretty much exactly the same physiological makeup as the person next to them. So keep an open mind, a loving soul, and an open heart. Race, size, and religion are nothing but words for society to use as excuses to explain why one has no plausible reason for having disdain towards another. Those excuses that are socially constructed mean nothing because they do not define whether one has a beautiful soul or not. Everyone has their own story that makes them who they are; humans are not defined by the color of their skin, their size, where they went to school or what church they go to. We must strive for sonder.

sonder - n. the realization that every single person who passes by is living a life which is just as vivid and complex as your own; the realization that everyone has a story.