20 Things I've Learned at 20 Years Old

Now that I am 20 years old, I have been thinking a lot about lessons I have learned in my life so far & what I can do to benefit my life as I grow older. I came up with 20 things I have learned in my 20 years of life, some I wish I knew sooner. On that note, I want to share them with anyone reading this, so that they can benefit you in some way. Let me know if you can relate with anything I mentioned, in the comments below. Enjoy!  

1. People come and go in life but there is a purpose for each person that you cross paths with. 
2. Live life in the moment, I blinked at 10 years old and now I am 20.  I want to strive to live in the moment as much as I can. 
3. "I am the only one responsible for where I am today." This is very important to remember. You got yourself to the place that you are at in life and you have the power to push yourself to do better.
4. Expect nothing and accept everything. It is important not to expect so highly of others, because no one is perfect and you will be let down at times. There is a time in your life when you realize that shit happens and you can either let it ruin your day, or you can find the silver lining and move on. 
5. You are what you do, not what you SAY you will do. 
6. The Compound Effect. I read this book and it taught me SO many lessons, I couldn't explain them all without taking up an entire post. I HIGHLY recommend clicking the link and reading the book for yourself. Not to be dramatic, but it is a life-changing book.
7. Memories matter more than documenting them. You do not need to film every single concert you go to or every single time you do something fun. Sure, it is nice occasionally, but it is even better to be in the moment, put away your phone, and just ENJOY IT.
8. Don't take anyone for granted. I have witnessed a lot of death at a young age. It has taught me that anyone can be taken away at any moment. Do not take your loved ones for granted.
9. Tell your friends and family how much they mean to you. This ties into lesson #8, but is very important in its own way. Sometimes we think that our family knows we love them, so do not voice our feelings. Just do it, while you still can. You never know when they may be gone and will wish you would have told them. 
10. Be yourself. I wish I wouldn't have tried to be someone who I am not in middle/high school. Just be you and it will attract alike people into your life, who love you for the real you. 
11. Step out of your comfort zone. Nothing life-changing ever happens from staying in your safe bubble. 
12. Dress how you want. I started to not care what others thought of me about senior year of high school. I dress/act how I want and feel so much more confident now that I don't worry about how other people view me. 
13. Going off of the lesson above: Don't worry so much about what others think of you. This is only hurting your self esteem and is a major waste of time. Express yourself in your own unique way and don't let anyone tell you that it is wrong. 
14. Human connection is so important. This one speaks for itself. Connect with strangers, start conversations, you never know where it could end up or who could come into your life this way. 
15. Save your money. I have not been the best at this, but looking back I would have spent less money on meaningless things in high school such as clothing and food. 
16. If you are unhappy with your life, make a change. Only you have the power to control your happiness and your life. Don't let others control you.
17. Read more. This is very important to me and as I have grown older, I love learning as much as I can. Your knowledge is the only thing that can NEVER be taken away from you. 
18. Spend more time with your parents, they won't be around forever. I wish I would have hung out with my parents more as a teenager. It is never too late, however.
19. As Tony Robbins said, "See it as it is, but not worse than it is". Don't try to see the worst in every situation, strive to find the positive and learn from it. 
20. Take some time out of every day to do something for yourself. 

I hope you enjoyed and learned something new. Thanks for reading!

-Until next time