We've all heard the sayings as children, "Watch what you say", "Don't judge a book by its cover", and "treat others as you want to be treated." As I've grown older, I've realized more and more that your words and actions towards others really does have a defining effect; not only effecting how they feel about you, but how you feel about yourself. Every time you act, you're representing yourself and as well as the way you carry yourself. It's one of the most important aspects of being an adult.

Companies will want to hire those who are able to conduct themselves in a professional yet approachable manner, people will flock to those who are sociable and approachable, and your peers will stick closer to you when there is a mutual support of one another. If however, people find you off-putting, either through your actions or words, your quick judgement of people, or your harshness towards them, this is the image of you that will stick in their minds.

As humans, we want to be liked and accepted. I don't think anyone can truthfully state they want to be hated or shunned by their peers. I know I don't. But what I also know is that I can be rather harsh, either in my quick judgement of people or my strong opinions. Because I've accepted this, I've also accepted ways I can improve myself and hopefully by following these tips, you can too.

1. People enjoy being in the company of those who are honest.

And no, I'm not talking about hurling an insult at someone for their unappealing clothing or bad taste in music. People enjoy when people are honest with them about something. When you open up about your thoughts and feelings truthfully on a topic, there will be people who can sympathize with you. It makes you human.

2. Honesty does not equal rudeness.

There are ways of telling someone the truth while being considerate and polite and not degrading the other person in the process. Whether they choose to accept your honesty, however, is up to them. But you can't say you didn't try.

3. Everyone has different ideas and opinions.

While this may be hard to swallow, I would know, but everyone has differing opinions about things. That's one of the great things about interacting with people, you can get a different stance on an issue, a different answer to a solution, etc. It's important to respect this fact, as it is something a lot of people struggle with. Someone stating their opinion does not make yours invalid, and stating yours does not make their opinion invalid either.

4. Positivity is contagious.

No one likes a "negative Nancy". This is something I struggle with, as we all know it is infinitely easier to complain about something than try to think positivity about the issue. However, when you change your mindset and try to look on the bright side, things will start looking better around you and your peers will feed off of your outlook as well.

5. Be considerate of other's feelings.

Not everyone has the skin of alligator. Sometimes, people need to cry, to rant, and that's perfectly alright. As a friend, it is important to reassure them, not degrade them, for these feelings. After all, we all have emotions.

6. Emotions are not a sign of weakness.

Everyone cries. Men, women, animals, we all do it. It doesn't make anyone better for shedding fewer tears than someone else.

7. Your standards are not everyone's standards.

Everyone grew up differently. Therefore, people all view stuff differently. What might be trash to you might be a diamond to someone else. It is important to keep this mind to avoid wrongly judging someone.

8. Focus on what you do well.

A large part of conducting yourself well is focusing on what you excel at. Heighten your best features, whether that be your body or your mind. People appreciate those who are confident with themselves and the more you remember that you have talents and skills, the more easily you'll be able to hold your head high.

9. Jealousy does not equal admiration.

It is important to separate the two, as there is a large difference between them. While admiration is upheld, it is not advised to be jealous, as this can only bring about bitter feelings. While it may be difficult, it is important to take a step back and truly think about our reasons for harboring jealous feelings. As previously stated, we all can't be good at the same thing, nor can we possess the same thing, so we need to focus on what we do have and we are good at. Otherwise, we'll continue to think negatively.

10. Compassion goes a long way.

You never know what kind of a day someone is having, so going out of your way to help them, pay them a genuine compliment, or just talk to them on a personal level may really improve someone's day.

11. We are all worthy of kindness.

Your upbringing, paycheck, skin color, or gender do not make you better than anyone else. We all deserve kindness and fair treatment and the more you think about this, the closer you'll be to improving yourself.