1. 25 Things You'll Learn by the Time You’re 21
1) Before you can be happy with anything in life, you have to be happy with yourself.
Simple as that.
2) You should be spending your time looking for your wedding party, not the person you're going to marry. Don't worry, you'll find one another.
With apps like Tinder, you may constantly be looking for "the one". (Because that's what everyone on there is looking for right…?) Go ahead and go on those awkward dates and give out your number, it doesn't hurt. But don't put yourself down and try to figure out what's wrong with you when it doesn't work out. Nothing's wrong with you, you just haven't met the right person.
3) People who don't make an effort to stay in your life don't deserve a place in your life. Stop reaching out your hand if they aren't taking hold of it.
It took me forever to realize that people like this are just so worthless but believe me when I tell you, life becomes so much better when you just cut them out for good and stop stressing over a friendship/relationship that clearly the other person doesn't care much for. Oh and don't worry, they'll come back eventually and you will be the one not willing to try. That's how it always works.
4) You are going to make so many mistakes that you'll lose count, but don't let them define you. Pick yourself up, shake it off and learn from it. Let the mistakes you make now make you a better person and help you guide others down the right path.
No. One. On. This. Earth. Is. Perfect. It's totally okay to screw up, just don't repeat the same mistakes over and over again. There is seriously no one out there who hasn't messed up at least once in his or her life; I mess up on a daily basis. You are not alone.
5) A night out with your friends is so much more important than studying for a 5 point quiz.
60 years from now, you won't be thinking "Man, I really should've studied for that quiz that was worth less than 1% of my grade." But, you will regret not living your life and having fun while you can.
6) Grades in general do not make you who you are.
Yes, education and your GPA is extremely important. But please, do not absolutely destroy yourself over a bad exam or a bad course grade. It happens to everyone, I promise.
7) Think before you speak.
Quite often, we forget how effective our words are. One sentence can change your entire life for the better or worse and it can also change someone else's.
8) You do not have to drink to have fun.
Hold onto those nights where you just sit around doing nothing with your friends and you just talk. Those are the moments that your friendship truly strengthens and that you learn so much about one another. We all have our "going out friends" who you literally only see when you go out to the bars or a party. Don't let those friends get in the way of the ones who are your true friends.
9) Stop worrying about what other people think of you. It only matters what YOU think of YOU.
Ya wanna sing "I Will Always Love You" on Karaoke because you think you are the next Whitney Houston? Get up there and do it. Ya wanna wear a Hawaiian shirt and shave off your eyebrows because you think it looks cool? Hell yeah, go for it. I don't recommend it but if you're about that life, OKAY!
10) It is very important to own a good phone case.
Drunk or sober, you are going to drop that thing about a hundred times. Buy a phone case that will genuinely protect your phone, you will thank me later.
11) Drunk people you meet in the bathrooms at the bar are (typically) the nicest people you will ever meet in your life.
More common in the girls bathroom than the guys, you will find the friendliest drunk people waiting in line. You got lipstick on your teeth? Your girl Claire is about to hug you, say she wants to be your best friend and then let ya know. You're bleeding? Your boy Justin is about to high five you and hit ya with the "Holy shit dude you're bleeding! Hell yeah!" Try to be like them every day and be that kind, minus the drunk part…and maybe even the hugging….just be nice, okay?
12) Your younger family members look up to you, so be careful about the stories you tell in front of them.
You may not know it, but those little ones idolize you and pay attention to everything you do or say. There is nothing worse than asking a little cousin or sibling what they are drinking and they respond with "Beer! I'm just like you!" even when it's just water. Don't let them think that's all you do, even if it is. Guide them down the right path as much as you can and be a good example.
13) You should attend as many family functions as you can.
Life can end so quickly and you never know when will be the last time you see one of your loved ones. Don't be the family member that is constantly ditching out on family parties to go out and party with your friends. Your family has loved you since day 1 and you never know when the last time you see them will be.
14) Wearing the color grey when going out is never a good idea.
Unless you have 0 sweat glands or wherever you are going to is going to be below 50 degrees and you're sitting down, do not wear grey. Bars and clubs are typically like a zillion degrees because of everybody running around in there dancing and what not. Nobody wants to be the person who looks like the sweatiest mess of them all, so just hear me out and trust me on this one. Honestly, don't wear any color that is about to show your severe sweat stains. I wore grey one time and it was definitely a fatal error.
15) If someone wants to be with you, they will be with you.
If they want to see you, they will see you. If they want to kiss you, they will kiss you. If they want to do whatever, they will find a way to do it. If they don't find a way, they never really wanted it to begin with. Sometimes we make ourselves a very convenient option and we let people get away with letting people treat us however they want to. Don't trick yourself into believing that someone cares about you when you know that they don't.
16) Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean you have to do it.
Everyone is getting into a relationship? Great, you don't have to. Everyone is getting black out drunk every weekend? Great, you don't have to. Everyone is shaving their heads and joining a cult? Great, you don't have to! Do what you want, don't just do something because everybody else is.
17) Admitting when you're wrong is crucial.
Part of growing up is fessing up when you've made a mistake. You definitely look a lot less stupid when you admit that you were wrong instead of pretending you're right.
18) Always say sorry.
Sorry is a word. It takes 1 second for you to say it. That word is not worth losing a friendship or a relationship with someone. In general, fights are stupid to have with people that you care about. If you are in the wrong, definitely say it and take action to prove that you are. Even if you're not wrong, just say it. It is a word. Just a word. Do it.
19) Time heals all.
You may think the world is coming to an end and that your life is worthless because of something that happened today, but 5 years from now you'll look back and think it was the dumbest thing in the world to be upset over and you will be okay. Do not make a permanent decision over a feeling that will be temporary. If you do need help though, please reach out. Your life is so precious and people genuinely care about you more than you know.
20) Alcohol can't solve your problems.
99% of the time when you try to drink away your problems, you end up creating more. I tried this one time and I ended up punching my best friend in the mouth and busting her lip (we're still best friends and she deserved it, it's okay.) Alcohol only temporarily helps you forget but the next day once your hang over is gone and once all of the stories have been told about what you did that night, your problems will still be there. Get up and face your problems instead of running from them.
21) Always let the ones you care about know you care as often as you can.
Say I love you, give hugs, make time to call them up, just anything. Life is so short and so unpredictable. You never want to wonder "what-if" or question if someone knew how much you cared.
22) Eliminating people out of your life is not a bad thing.
To be happy, you have to let go of things and often those "things" actually end up being people. Certain people have a way of making other's lives so miserable just because they are unhappy with their own. There are also people who are just extremely toxic to you because they mess with your feelings and emotions. Eliminate all people like this and just anyone that makes you unhappy.
23) You are not better than anyone else.
Just because you have better grades than someone else, it does not make you better. Just because you drive a nice car, it does not make you better. Just because you believe in something that someone else does not, it does not make you better. Just because you are a certain race, it does not make you better. We are all human beings and we are all equal. The person you think you are better than could easily have been you, don't forget that.
24) Money is not the most important thing.
There will be times when you check your bank account and you either have $0.03 or your balance is negative. When this happens, you may think "Damn it I shouldn't have went out this weekend" or "Damn it I shouldn't have shopped so much" but then later on once you have money again, you'll be happy you did. The memories you make and the happiness of getting what you want is way more important than any amount of money you'll ever have.
25) Stay true to yourself, always.
Don't change for anyone or anything. You are great exactly how you are. Don't lose sight of your morals and don't get lost in this whirlwind we call life. If you do get lost, call up some good friends and family and they'll help you find your way back. You know the difference between right and wrong and you know what you believe in, so speak up and don't be afraid if you're different.
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Life is great and we only have one so live it up while you can. Do everything you want and reach for all of your goals every day! I used to not love my life very much and I often look back and wish I would have loved it as much as I do today, because just being alive in general is such a blessing! Stay true to who you are and don't let anyone or anything change you because YOU are GREAT ☺
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