10 Things That I Wish I'd Known When I Was Younger

You might be older now, but that doesn't mean you're any wiser. Life has a way of sneaking up on you, and sometimes it feels like there's nothing that can prepare us for it. These are a few things that I wish I'd known about when I was younger because being an adult is no excuse to not learn something new.

1) You can always do better; there's never an exit from failure.

I heard somewhere that good things happen to those who hustle, and it's true. This partially explains why I'm a notorious overachiever. I'll work harder than anyone else because I want to get the good things. But on the other side of it, there are no u turns in life. Once you've gotten off of a bad path, you can never go back and change your actions. No matter what you do, your mistakes are yours to keep. Not only that, but newer generations will always be better than yours.

2) People in your life serve a greater purpose than you can ever imagine.

In high school, I had a huge circle of friends. We were a giant family and everyone was there for one another. It's amazing how many people can come into your life and impact it in such big ways in ways that you didn't even know you needed. I'm so thankful that people in my life have influenced me and helped me grow.

3) Your life is completely unpredictable.

There's no way to know where opportunities will come your way, or which relationships you'll have the chance to take part in. You can't plan ahead, but that doesn't mean you should never plan at all. Take the time to explore and live in the moment.

4) Happiness is fleeting.

I remember back when I was about 16 years old, I had a lot of emotional ups and downs regarding my relationships with friends. But then, one day, something just clicked inside of me and I blossomed into this happy person. It's a really beautiful thing to be able to see yourself change for the better like that it's the best feeling ever.

5) Being kind always pays off.

I'm a naturally sweet and considerate person, which has always been my go to demeanor. This made it incredibly easy for me to treat people kindly and with respect but it also meant that people could take advantage of me. I used to be so blinded by my kindness that I didn't see that some people only wanted to use me. It wasn't until I grew older that I realized kindness is an amazing trait…but it can also be your biggest weakness.

6) You can be a part of something bigger than yourself.

This is my favorite lesson I've learned in life and I'm so grateful that I got to experience it. When I graduated high school, I did everything in my power to make sure that the people around me my family, friends, peers knew that they mattered to me. At the time, it was just considered being nice. But now I see how much of an impact caring for others really has.

7) You can never truly predict the future.

It's real easy to look back at something in your life, think it over, and make a guess about what the outcome might be. But the truth is that you can't accurately make these predictions and that's what makes life so beautiful. The fact that we don't know what's going to happen next makes every choice you make all that much more important.

8) The way you feel defines how you treat others.

In school, there was this one girl who definitely rubbed me the wrong way. I had little or no respect for her, and I'm honestly embarrassed by it now. Looking back, I regret how I treated her because she was really nice to me.

But what really sucked about this situation was that it became a vicious cycle because I was so mistreated by her, I began to act like a mean person in return. I used to think that people were basically good in their hearts and didn't intend to be hateful, but that's not always true. You can't let other people's actions define your own because you're the one who has the power to change it.

9) People have different strengths and weaknesses, and one person could even ship you with someone else.

I've been in relationships where I was meant for this person, but also supposed to be with another. I just don't know how things could have turned out for me if I actually had paired with the person I originally thought I should be with. It's beautiful to find someone who complements your strengths and weaknesses, but it can also be heartbreaking when your partner is simply one of a kind. If you want to move forward in life while staying true to yourself, you gotta accept that everyone is unique.

10) You must believe in yourself even when nobody else does.

Growing up, I had a bad habit of letting people make decisions for me. I'd always let people tell me what to do because I was afraid to be alone and it wasn't until much later that I realized how important it is to be your own person. Because of this, I've had to learn the important lesson that no one will ever understand you or your life like you do so if you don't know yourself at all, you're bound to get disappointed by others.

I know that just 10 lessons in life can't possibly have all that much of an impact. But I've learned that you have to open your mind and accept the fact that things change. And that's what makes life so special because it never stays the same.