Personally, How I Met Your Mother is my favorite show of all time, and I have watched it growing up. Now that I have watched the show over 12 times, I thought it would be useful to put my knowledge along with the show to show essential lessons How I Met Your Mother has taught me over the years as I am growing up. There are spoilers within this, so please read with caution. This show has had a last impact on me and always will, it made me the sappy person I am today, and the memories I have from watching this show for now over ten years will always be my favorite. Life is full of opportunities to change us, and sometimes we may not like what we see, but it will be an experience we need.

1. Love is the best thing we do:
   When we grow up and change, we make so many different relationships with our friends, family, significant others, and random people we see constantly. We have a different amount of love we give each person, but we care for them. It does not compare to any other kind of emotion or just logical sense. You cannot find a way out of it using logic because it feels like no other. We need it in our lives because it is the best thing we can do. Without love, many people are going through life, missing the best feeling of knowing someone to care for them and want to be there. Everyone has love in their life- even if we do not want it there, it helps up always. Loving people is the best thing we can do as it does not need logic, but instead, in Ted Mosby's words, "Love is non-sensical."
2. Those challenging moments end up as an epic story later on:
   We all have those days that you feel like you are just messing up your life, and all you want to do is go into your room, apartment, dorm, or just a public bathroom and cry your eyes out. Whether it is a messy breakup, a huge fight, failing a test, or anything that makes it feel like the end of the world. However, as we progress and change, move on. They just become stories of your development and how much you have grown since. What has changed since your last challenging moment? Although we have those moments, at least later in life, we can look back at them, learn from them, and laugh at ourselves because it is important to see growth from everything we experience. There is no reason to dwell on the moments a year later because life keeps on changing, and as well as us- we are not the same people we were a week ago, and next week we will not be the same either.
3. If you want someone in your life, you need to do something to keep them in your life:
   No one will stay in your life unless you make an effort to keep them in your life. You can't listen to people saying, "if they wanted to, they would." That is not how the world works; you have to give to receive effort and be vocal about it. You will lose people in your life as you get older and grow up. However, if you want them to stay in touch with you and want that connection, you must do something about it. No one is going to read your mind on what you want from them. It is humanly impossible! You need to show them that you want them in your life because if they matter to you and you don't show them that or tell them, how will they know? They will not know. You are not anyone else, you know what you want to do best, if you listen to other people and play hard to get, of course, they are going to lose you, make an effort because at the end of the day, you know you did it and you will not have a "what if" moment. You choose the path of your life and who you want in it. No one else does.
4. Nothing good happens after 2 am:
   If you have not seen How I Met Your Mother, I strongly recommend watching season 1, episode 18 illegally or on Hulu- I am willing to message you as well to help you manage it. This episode has kept me feeling safe and has impacted my life as well. To those who do not watch the show, Ted (the main character) has this ongoing rule throughout the series about how "nothing good happens after 2 am" shows us his examples. However, some people say it is the best time of your life, and the most memories happen there, but your decisions are not the clearest and can cause some issues. Your mind is tired. You probably have been up since the morning, so your logic is gone. So when 2 am comes around, go straight to bed or do not make any rash decisions. Although there are exceptions to every rule, sometimes life will give you the most memorable and the best memories after 2 am.
5. Do not run back to the past because it is familiar. You have to accept the future is coming, and change will happen:
   One of the most challenging things a person can experience is changing. We do not want to run away from what is comforting and what is known, but the thing is that when we stay comfortable- we do not learn anything. You visit the same. Running back to the past because it is safe and makes you feel more comfortable is not helping you but holding you back from opportunities. Life is about experiencing change and accepting that the future will come and things will not be the same. It isn't easy. I have run back to the past several times because it makes me feel safe- but nothing changes and the future will change, and you will too. We do not know what will ever happen, but that is OK because we have to accept nothing stays the same, and in the end, it is for the best.
6. Be mature enough to give your ex- relationships closure:
   I cannot express this enough, never leave a relationship, whether it is a friendship or significant other making them feel like, "what did I do wrong?" They do not know what to do because you did not have the decency to tell them what was wrong- you have to tell them how you feel and why it did not work. Without that closure, it is always going to be "what if" for you. The other person will wonder, "what happened." It is not fair to either person, and you have to talk to them to understand what happened and why it did not work out, sometimes it flat out doesn't work out for small things or big things, but everyone is owed an explanation no matter how tough it is. Everyone has to accept that things happen and communicate because communication is key to understanding what you can do in life. I wish to this day that my ex gave me closure and had an actual conversation with me because all I got was, "you are not good enough.". Be mature and the bigger person to help the person understand what went wrong.
7. There is no such thing as "the one," you may get multiple chances at love:
   "The one" is a myth. There is no such thing as a person who is meant to be with you. Love is so controversial. There are so many different types of love and showing affection- no one will be the same as you. We have different types of love growing up. We think that the crush we had in elementary school is "the one," or that crush you have all of high school. But there is no type of way of knowing who "the one" is because sometimes you can look at someone, and they may seem like they give you the world and everything you want, but they are not the person you may end up being with. That is why showing love to all is so important because we are allowed to love someone and show our appreciation towards them, and if you don't show them that love, they will not know how you feel either. We may get multiples of love in our lifetime. You may think they are "the one," but you never know what will happen, and you have to show them that love every day. Love is a beautiful thing, but only if we show that love. You will know who you are meant to be with when the time comes, so never give up on love either.
8. "Sometimes you fall for someone you'd never expect, but that doesn't make it wrong.":
   Falling in love is complicated, messy, and you never know what will happen. We find romance in the weirdest places or end up with people who we never expect to be with, but that does not mean that is not wrong. There is no way to figure out why we fall for someone we never want, but it can be one of the best things in the world because we find someone we love and want to grow with. Although sometimes we fall for people you swore we would never date, it is an opportunity for an adventure, and you never know how it will turn out. Taking that experience is beautiful because we fall for a person that may potentially be in your life forever- you never know. Falling for a person is never wrong. Your heart knows what it wants, and it is essential to take that step because love always wins. Always.
9. The universe may compromise against you sometimes:
   Life is not always good, one reason that I loved How I Met Your Mother was when I was about 8 or 9 years old, my parents were getting separated, and it was messy. I was just a kid. My brother played this show for me, and for some reason, it gave me that closure that life can be horrible sometimes, but it is for the best. Life sometimes sucks, like it just kicks you and shoves you to the ground while you are in pain, sucks or crying in your bedroom feeling at your lowest suck. Although life may be horrible, it is for the best. Sometimes the universe is going to kick you down and go against what you want. But you make your fate, no one gets to say what you do, not even the universe, you are the one that decides what happens next, no one else, so although the universe feels like it is against you, you have the power of what happens in your life and do not forget that. You hold the ability to create change in your life, and everything you can do can make the change. This show taught me that even though the universe is against me sometimes, I can always be a good person and change my fate. I have that power, as do you. Do not let anyone tell you differently.
10. Be loyal to those you love:
    Loyalty is not meaning following "Bro Code" word for word, but showing your loyalty to your friends, family, and whoever you are with. We trust the world; we put our faith into people every day, whether someone is driving, telling something personal to someone, or just someone helping you. If you break that trust, it is painful and unforgivable, you may be friends again, but that wall is hard to break. You show your loyalty to those you love because when life gets hard, they will be there for you and want to help you, but only because of the commitment you have put towards them. Hurting someone is painful and hurts your conscience, so stay loyal. It will hurt 100 times more to break their trust in you.
11. Everyone has baggage:
    When we meet people and see them as perfect, and nothing is wrong with them, there is something you do not know yet. No one is perfect. We all have baggage. It makes us who we are, and everyone needs to learn to accept it because it is a part of you. We all have secrets that we think will weird out a person. However, we have to learn to get ours because if we don't, then who will? Sometimes it can be weird finding out someone else's and make you realize, "yeah, this is not gonna work out," but it never hurts to find out because it will bring you closer to people and realize no one is perfect, and we are flawed. Having that acceptance helps you learn there is no such thing as being perfect, we are unique and different in our way, and once we accept that, the world will too (usually).
12. Have the courage to execute the ideas you believe in:
    The overall lesson from the show is when you put your mind you something, make it happen. Ted did this with his goal of creating a building in New York. To achieve our dreams, we have to have faith that we can make them come true and work to achieve that goal. Nothing in life is handed to us, and we have to work for it, spend hours upon hours on it. You need to believe in yourself and want to succeed for it to happen. You can't say, "oh, I will do it later," and expect it done last minute. When you believe in something, you have to make it the goal to get there no matter the difficulties because only you can achieve it.
13. Surround yourself with people who want you to succeed:
    You deserve positive energy in your life always, the people who want to motivate you and want to see you succeed. When you surround yourself with people who want to see you fail, that then comes to haunt you in the back of your mind thinking, "I can't do this." The people you surround yourself with reflect the work you do be the ones who help motivate you. People who want the best for you are the best people to have in your life because they will help you get to your goal and work to the best of their abilities to make you succeed. The energy you surround yourself reflects onto you and what you will have in life.
14. You don't need to know exactly what you want to do — it's OK to change your mind:
    We all have a point in our life where we are thinking, "What am I doing?" And decide to switch your goal into something that differs from our original thought of what we may think we will be. The important thing, though, is not to limit yourself to experiences because it does not go with your five-year plan, constantly things with change, and the goals and things we have set for ourselves with altering along with us. We are young and have the chance to do whatever we want; it is OK that we are not the same people we were years ago. Our goals change, and our ideas for life. There is no reason to hold ourselves in a box of specific ideas and never step out of it. You need to step out of your comfort zone because you can reflect and do whatever you want to do when you are lost. Your five-year plan will change constantly, and whatever you think is best for you is the route you go on. You don't need to go one way, and you can always change your mind.
15. Learn To Accept the Inevitable, Even If You Don't Like It:
    You cannot avoid the inevitable, and it will happen whether we like it or not. The only thing we can do is accept it and move on. Things will happen in life that is unavoidable and painful, but you have to know it is for the best, and there is more to come. Things happen for a reason, and if we like it or not, change will happen, events will occur that we have to accept, and there is no way of changing what happens. We can only change our mindset. We cannot prevent things in the world from happening; we have to reflect and fix whatever happens after the inescapable.
16. You need to take a chance:
    Stop limiting yourself to stay in a comfort zone and not experience things that you should be doing. Life will happen, and you should not have to look back and reflect on what you should have done. We have one life to do what we want to do, and if we do not take the opportunity to do so, we are just staying at a safe level with ourselves and not taking the chance to change or grow as a person. You are holding yourself back when you do not risk something. You will never experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities when you are afraid. You have to take that leap and know you can do whatever you put your mind to because it is always possible.
17. Don't hold out for a person who accepts your quirky traits, but instead, hold out for the person who likes them:
    You are special. Do not forget that. One significant thing for me is the small traits each character has that make them uniquely. Above all their quirks, they are all appreciated for them. However, in reality- people tend to accept their quirks but not like them. When you are with someone, you should love them with everything they have. They are specific characteristics that make us who we are. They are not flaws in us. When you are with a person who tolerates them, it feels as if those quirks weren't a part of you. They would not care, but the people who appreciate and like them want those quirks because they show who you are. When you fall in love with someone, you have to love all they bring into the relationship because otherwise, you do not love every aspect of them, making them feel inadequate in the back of their mind. Those quirks help define a person and show who they are.
18. You cannot plan your life out to every detail. It will plan itself out:
    As someone with a type-A personality, this is the most challenging thing for me to accept. I like to plan months, and when there is no plan- I tend to break down in a full panic mode. It is a flaw in me because, in my notes app, I have the next four years of college planned out. I have all my assignments planned out of when and where I will do them. I even have a full itinerary of when I visit my friends at college on what to bring, wear, what time to leave, etc. I have every aspect of my life planned out. But the problem with planning out my life is that sometimes things change and alter, causing a significant change in everything else. Life is supposed to be experienced, and when we try to plan, we lose that moment of suspense because we want it so perfect for ourselves. Nothing happens according to plan. Life is a roller-coster, and we have to accept that nothing will stay the same. Those plans we have will change constantly, and it will be for the best. You need to experience everything. When planning everything out, we lose that excitement because we are not living life to the fullest in reality, but on paper, we are. There are some things we can plan out, but in the end, the universe will change it for the best.
19. "You can ask the universe for signs all you want, but ultimately we'll only see what we want to see…when we're ready to see it." – Ted Mosby:
    We have rose-colored glasses on to avoid the red flags in life as well as the signs the universe gives us. We want to see the signs we want, but you do not get what you want, but rather what you need. We want so much and expect to see those results and get them, but that is not how life works. Sometimes we ask the universe for a sign that they are your soulmate. You will either get lucky and show a sign that they are, or we will finally see that it will not happen. We are not ready for a change in our lives. It is bound to happen, though. Until we are willing to see it, the universe will show you no sign of what is yet to come until you are ready because sometimes we are not mature enough to see what will happen next. You cannot ask for signs constantly in life, they will come to you, and you will be ready then. As much as we try to avoid the challenges, the universe signs that it will happen; we have to accept that faith.
20. Your story is never really finished:
    ***SPOILER***
    In the last episode of HIMYM, Ted finally concludes how he met his kid's mom, but the story is not over. He then realizes that he should be with Robin and gives her the blue french horn once again. That scene shows you can finish a chapter in your story, but the book is never done. Life is full of opportunities, and it may seem like it is over and concluded, but change will always happen, and you will continue to experience new life-changing moments. The story is never over. But instead, it is just the beginning of a new chapter. You decide when it is over, and you choose your fate. Nothing will stop you unless it is yourself, so take that chance to do whatever you want.

This show has had a last impact on me and always will, it made me the sappy person I am today, and the memories I have from watching this show for now over ten years will always be my favorite. Life is full of opportunities to change us, and sometimes we may not like what we see, but it will be an experience we need. It is never too late to change your life and what we do. We are the own authors of our stories, and we control what happens next. We do not know what will happen next, but we can handle it right now. Life is full of opportunities to try new things. The people we have in our life are there for a reason. Do not waste your time trying to do everything by the book. Experience life because we have the chance to change everything always. We cannot plan life down to the minute, constantly the universe will change, but we cannot let it get in the way. You will always figure it out without a plan. You will end up in the same place you are meant to be. Do not waste your time, and live life. Because in the end, it will be legend- and I hope you are not lactose intolerant because the next part of this word is -dary. Legendary.