The last 20 years has been one of the craziest roller coasters I've ever been in. And now, being a second-year college student, I can't help but self-reflect how far I've come. No, the journey wasn't easy and it will never be easy, but you learn to live through it flawlessly and learn to love life every step of the way. Here are just a few things that I've learned in the last 20 years:
1. It's OK to not be OK.
We're human, and we all have some type of breaking point. Life isn't easy as you get old and sometimes admitting that you're upset and not OK is one of the signs of growing up. We're aren't meant to be robots and just pretend to always be OK for the show.
2. I learned to ask for help.
If you know me well enough, I hate asking for help. I like the independence and the rewarding feeling of doing things all on my own. Now, I'm not degrading the value of independence, but sometimes it is okay to ask for help. Whether it be from your friends, family, a counselor, or maybe a teacher. We all need a little saving once in awhile.
3. I learned to trust.
Don't get me wrong, trust is something that's earned and shouldn't be taken for granted. But if someone comes in your life and made some kind of difference to the point where you see them being there for the long haul, there's no reason not to trust them. Granted that it will take some time, but it doesn't hurt to try.
4. Your parents are the most important people in your life.
I wasn't a fan of my parents because I've always thought that they were uptight and I felt that they didn't want me to have fun. But I learned that they just want the best for me. And now that I'm old enough to understand I felt bad about all the times that I ever tried to defy them, and went against them. So shoutout to my parents for loving me no matter what.
5. You must forgive yourself.
We aren't perfect, no one will ever be perfect. You will hurt someone. You will say things that you don't mean. You will lose your patience at some point. You will come to this realization that maybe being a little hard on yourself about all of the boo-boos you've made so far in life has brought nothing but unnecessary pain. So let go and move on and please forgive yourself.
6. Love yourself a little bit every day.
I must say that I'm not so good at loving myself. But I'm learning that all I have at the end of the day is myself and I have to learn how to love it. And to be honest you can start by just saying "thank you" for all the compliments that you will get. And most of all appreciate the features that make you who you are.
7. Nothing worth it will ever come easy.
You go to school and realize that it's very challenging and hard. However, at the end of the day the knowledge that you will take away from it and how one day you will have the opportunity to make your mark in the world, will make all of the struggles you're experiencing now be worth it in the end. This also goes for relationships, friendships, and pretty much everything else in life. You'll see!
8. Stop living in the past. Don't get carried away with the future.
Take it easy champ, you're doing just fine. Living in the past is never good unless it's remembering the good old times. Thinking about the future isn't so bad either just don't get carried away with it and forget to live in the present. Just take it one day at a time, I know I had to learn the hard way.
The last 20 years have definitely been the one for the books and the life lessons have made me the way I am today. But I know this isn't the end so we'll see what the future have in store.
