I have compiled a list of the most profound things that I have learned since turning 20. Ironically my list goes to 20. I don't feel as if I have a lot of advice to give, but I have learned a few things.
1. You will always have those people in your life who make you feel about 2 inches tall for every decision you make. (In my case, my parents.) That's ok. Work hard. Prove them wrong.
2. You have the adult freedom that you craved for when you were a teenager, but suddenly it doesn't mean as much to you as you thought it would. In fact, most of the time sleep trumps going out.
3. You will inevitably go out to a bar one night, get drunk and throw up. Everyone has been there. Try not to feel too stupid about it.
4. You are going to have a week where you stretch a $20 bill farther than you ever thought possible. This is because after buying gas and groceries, you spent almost all of Friday's paycheck drinking Sex on a Beach and taking shots of Patron at the bar on Saturday night. This will teach you to be frugal.
5. You will realize that you are going to be "getting your sh*t together" well into your thirties. Enough said.
6. At some point you are going to realize who your true friends are. Life is full of "friends" that are the first ones you call if you want to have a good time, and the last ones to call if you need support or advice. Your true friends are there for the good and the bad.
7. You'll have what I call an occasional "ugly day", where you look into the mirror and think "Are you serious?". You will want to run back to bed in an effort to not show your face in public. Don't. You are being dramatic.
8. You will unfortunately, read something (on the internet, a letter, text message etc.) that will make you feel like you have been hit by a truck. Just remember, sometimes things have to fall apart to fall back together.
9. Someone will betray your trust. It will make it seem damn near impossible to view relationships the same. You can not let past disappointments cloud your judgment. You can't make everyone pay for someone else' mistake yet you can't be too overly trusting. This line is sometimes very hard to define.
10. At some point you will bite your tongue so hard you think its going to fall off. < Best analogy I could come up with :). This is a sign of maturity. Sometimes you are going to have to be the bigger person and realize that there is no point in arguing with an idiot.
11. You will sometimes have to step outside of your pride and admit that you are wrong. This is so hard, but necessary.
12. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. You'll find that nothing in life comes for free.
13. You will learn that guys get PMS too! Okay, they may not get stomach cramps and hot flashes, but they most definitely have mood swings.
14. You will realize that your metabolism is going to slow down. Remember how everyone in high school would talk about the freshman 15? Well they forgot to mention the Twenty 20. I made that up. It is true though, you will gain weight. If you don't, consider yourself lucky.
15. You are inevitably going to have your heart broken. When you are young and naïve you tend to give your heart to people who don't deserve it. But the good thing is, your heart will mend. You may not ever completely get over it, but you will learn to accept it.
16. You might hook up with someone whom you would never give a second glance in broad daylight. It happens. Just don't make the same mistake twice.
17. You may be faced with a situation where you will betray your morals. Your convictions will fly out the window as you partake in something against your beliefs. You will learn from it. You will also build character from it.
18. You will stop wearing your heart on your sleeve. Once life knocks you down a few times, your skin will get thicker. I promise you will stop letting things effect you the way they once did.
19. You will learn how to give a phenomenal job interview. Basically, you will learn how to talk yourself up. This is a good quality. It will take you far.
20. You will never underestimate the power of a smile! Smiling releases endorphins that put you in a good mood.
"A smile can brighten the darkest day."
