In the words of Barney Stintson, the Summer of 2016 has been "Legen...wait for it...dary!"
I got to do some life-changing traveling with my best friend, I did some growing up alongside my best friend and I binge-watched "How I Met Your Mother" thanks to my best friend and Netflix. In just a month, I watched nine seasons of an amazing TV sitcom that although was a little old, still had story lines relevant to my life today. It is a genre of television that until this summer, I could never watch unless I was going to sleep at night. However, "How I Met Your Mother" to me was not just a regular sitcom instead it was a sitcom that presented a story line that peaked my interest beyond its comedic factor by teaching me a few life lessons along the way.
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Life Is A Story And It Is Not Always A Fairytale
A topic that is often not discussed by modern society is the reality that life is messy. Hollywood has the tendency to present tragic stories, but then produce a happy ending, parents tend to tell their children that things will always be OK, and story books remind us that even the villain can one day become good. However, "How I Met Your Mother" tells us that some stories are messy and don't always end with, "Happily ever after." We waited eight seasons for a marriage that lasted half an episode and we waited an entire series to face the death of a character we grew to love, but rarely got to meet. I learned that it is not always happy ending, but that's just as OK as long as your learning and moving forward.
Take Chances
In order to live a life that is full of happiness we need to step out of our comfort zone and take chances. Instead of sitting down and wallowing in self pity, we should move forward and do something that scares us. This is a lesson I try to apply in my life every day, but "How I Met Your Mother" reassured me this is the way to live. After all, the entire show is based on the idea that the little risks and moments make up the biggest. Challenge accepted!
Nothing Good Ever Happens After 2 a.m.
I never understood why my parents never wanted me coming home after two or why my decision making skills seemed to waver in the early hours of the day. However, the simple explanation "How I Met Your Mother" presented me with was that, "Nothing good ever happens after 2 a.m.," meaning that at 2 a.m., you shouldn't be hooking up with your ex, you shouldn't be sitting at a karaoke bar and you definitely should not be trying to lie to the love of your life. Ted, Barney, Robin, Marshall and Lily all learned this and I did too.
Love Is Something You Always Need To Work On
Whether it be the way that Ted and Marshall relive their college road trips or the way that Marshall and Lilly vowed to update their wedding vows as needed because they realized love changes and it is something you work to maintain. Whether it is a friendship or romantic relationship all the character work hard and selflessly in hope of finding love and maintaining the love they already have. Ted Mosby says it best, "Because love is the best we can do."
Stay Close To The Ones We Love
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? If you ask me, getting married surrounded by the ones I love most. However, that will not always be the case. Because the people you never expected to leave will and the ones you never expected to stay will and when you find that person or people keep them close and never let them go. The characters on "How I Met Your Mother" remind me how much I should appreciate my best friend and how I should expect to feel about my future husband. Do what ever it takes to be with the people you can not live without. Never give up on the good times with friends.
Suit Up, Stop Being Sad And Start Being Awesome
One of my favorite characters throughout the seasons was Barney Stintson. The play boy turned nice guy turned play boy, has this evolution that makes him great. He has three iconic lines, but all of them involve going through life by not taking it to seriously. Using logic and whit, I learned to always be awesome, make things legendary all the while looking good. We all love Swarley!
Yellow Umbrellas, Pineapples And Red Boots
What might be ordinary objects are in fact the basis of a friendship and that's the thing, things only have meaning if you give them meaning. A yellow umbrella becomes the way you meet your wife, the pineapple a reminder of that one crazy night out and the red boots of the friends who never stop laughing at you because you wear them. Find your objects and milk the insane insider jokes and sentimental memories out of them.
If a television show could teach me so much about life, then I wish I could live like the TV characters and follow the advice. While Ted's kids learned how he met their mother, I learned how to live life.
