This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Oneonta chapter.
As my 20th birthday approached, I suddenly realized how old I actually am and how many things I’ve learned in the course of those 20 years. There were many more than just twenty things I’ve learned; but these were some of the most important that I will keep with me always, especially #14. Some things I had to learn the hard way & others I let someone else learn for me. Either way, these are what I consider some of the most worthwhile things I have gained. Here’s to many more lessons and many more years.
- I don’t know it all.
- It’s okay to not know what you want to do today, tomorrow, or 5 years from now. You have time, nothing but time.
- Find your people, the people who make your heart happy even on your worst days. Stick with them. Love them. Appreciate them.
- Find something you love and do it often.
- Focus on the things you have control over; worry about the things you don’t later. There’s no use stressing yourself out over things you can’t fix.
- Life is full of balance- some days you will do nothing and some days you will do everything. Some days you will feel on top of the world—appreciate it, use it to the best of your ability; there will be days when you feel like you have hit rock bottom—this is okay too.
- Learn how to do your own laundry.
- It’s only a bad day, not a bad life.
- Take care of your skin & always wear sunscreen. 20 years from now, you’ll be glad you did.
- Learn how to cook; you won’t be living with mom and dad forever.
- There is always someone who has it worse than you.
- One bad grade doesn’t define you, your intelligence, or who you are as a student.
- On that note, don’t let it become a habit. Learn how to study properly, its one of the best things you can do for you and your future self.
- Even on your worst days, there’s still pizza.
- It is okay to have feelings; do not let anyone tell you otherwise and do not let anyone discount those feelings. People who try to tell you your feelings don’t matter and aren’t important are not the type of people you need to keep around. Always make yourself a priority.
- Don’t stay stuck in your ways; accept change with an open mind, you never know what’s around the next bend in the road.
- Put the phone down and live in the moment. You will always have that phone but you will not always have those people you are with. The memories will mean more to you twenty years from now than your Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook feed ever could.
- Sometimes people will hurt you. Those people don’t value you and you can only benefit from them showing their true colors. Do not let this leave a sour taste in your mouth. There will still be genuinely good people with genuinely good intentions who come into your life. Appreciate those people and love them with every fiber of your being.
- Learn how to be alone. Appreciate the peace & quiet.
- You are in charge of your own happiness. If you want to be happy, then be happy. Change whatever’s making you unhappy & if you can’t do it alone, never be afraid to ask for help. Life is too short to be unhappy.