18 things I’ve learned in 18 years

1. Don't take everything so seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself.

2. Rejection is redirection. What's meant for you will not pass you by.

3. Putting a bandaid on a stab wound only hides it and deepens it. Distracting yourself from the pain won't help you heal.

4. How your life feels is more important than how it looks.

5. Failure, pain, and discomfort are all part of growth.

6. If you don't pick a day to relax, then your body will pick it for you. Your mental health and happiness is more important than anything.

7. The enjoyment is in the journey, not the destination. Life is not a race. Take all the time you need.

8. Change happens when you are hurt enough that you have to. It all begins and ends in your mind. What you give power to, has power over you.

9. How people treat you is a reflection of themselves, not you.

10. Your physical appearance is the least interesting thing about you. If it takes sacrificing your mental health, personality, relationships, and creativity just to look a certain way or to fit a standard, then it's not worth it.

11. You never know what someone has been through or is struggling with. Always be kind and reach out.

12. Having unrealistically high expectations for yourself and those around you will only hurt you.

13. Everyone is on their own path. Comparing your journey is self-sabotage.

14. There is no timeline for grief. Your feelings are valid, and you don't need to justify them through any means.

15. Every experience is meant to teach you something new.

16. Cherish your friends and the ones who stuck with you at your worst.

17. Never miss an opportunity to tell someone how much they mean to you. You never know when it could be the last.

18. You can't hate yourself into the person you want to become. No amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of anxiety can change the future.