After a recent birthday I took some time to remember all the things that I have learned so far in life. Although I'm still very young, I do believe that my life experiences have taught me so much. So here are a list of the important lessons that have made me who I am today.

1. Do not blame yourself for uncontrollable things.

2. When a boy loses interest in you, don’t chase him, also, if you lose interest in a boy, don’t string him along

3. When a guy calls you a b**** for explaining to him that you’re not into him smile and move on.

4.When you get a B+ instead of an A, though it might be devastating, never question your intelligence.

5. When a relationship with one of your parents becomes difficult, talk to them. It might seem hard at first but communication with your parents is extremely important and it’s much harder to cut all ties with them.

6. When you can’t fit a size small anymore, do what you can to lose weight, but if it becomes much to hard, move up a size and still recognize how beautiful you are.

7. When you crave a whole box of donuts, maybe only eat two, but still eat some because your cravings are rarely a mistake.

8. When you finally feel like you’ve made it past a difficult time in your life, and you can genuinely smile again, and things seem to go wrong like before push through it. You’ve done it once and you can do it again.

9. Take advantage of your older sister’s knowledge, when she says not to wear those shoes with that dress listen to her. She’s already been through this.

10. Change up your look every once in awhile. Whether that is buying a new lipstick or cutting all your hair off, change is good.

11. Hold on to your childhood memories. People will call you childish, but it is a reminder of simpler times, so don’t easily let them go.

12. Learn how to do new things. Take skiing lessons or knitting classes but don’t waste twenty years doing the same things you’ve always done. New skills are always important.

13. Be understanding of other people's circumstances. You never know what someone is going through so don't judge them too quickly.

14. Sometimes you outgrow and lose friends. This doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them or you, it just means you've changed and it's okay.

15. Spend some time on your own, away from friends and family, to really understand yourself.

16. Travel. Sometimes we get caught up in our own little world we miss the beauty outside of it. Traveling can remind us that there is more to life.

17. Write. Whether it's a novel or just how your day was, writing can help put things into perspective.

18. Never underestimate your ability to do something. You might surprise yourself with the outcome.

19. Be involved in the world. Know what is going on around you so you can be safe.

20. And above anything else, tell those who you cherish that you love them. You never know when it’ll be your last time seeing them.