23 Lessons I learned over 23 years.

I turned twenty-three this week. Just like that, I am suddenly thrust into the real world with a large amount of student debt, rapidly changing relationships, and a profound feeling of being lost on how to handle it all.

But I know we will pull through this. The points below could be considered a summary of my 23 years and a reminder to always keep looking ahead.

1. No one gives a shit. Which may sound negative, but it isn't. No one cares, which is a good thing. You do you. Don't get bogged down by what people say.

2. Better to have loved and lost than not at all. Heartbreaks are never easy; they're painful, gut-wrenching, and just downright miserable. But it's beautiful in its way too. He has shaped me into the person I am today; I'm thankful for that. However, you need to know that there will be times when it's better to let a good thing die.

3. Consistency separates winners from wannabes. Such a great reminder to keep working on your goals, even if it means baby steps each day.

4. Everything is temporary. Understand that everything that has a beginning has an end and that we rarely get to choose when that end comes. All we have is to be grateful for is having had that opportunity. Cherish the good bits. Learn from, and put aside the bad ones. Realize that life is a series of relationships of different degrees. All of them finite. Some will be special. Some, if we are lucky, will be incredible experiences. But they will end.

5. Learn how to tell a story. Songs do a great job at that, how they so succinctly and beautifully portray stories into a 4-minute piece - it never fails to amaze me. I suck at storytelling. I can never fully convey my thoughts or emotions well. This is and will always be, a work in progress.

6. Never share a problem without a solution. And do not share a solution with no ways to implement it. My favorite professor of all-time, Lillian, said this in class, and it hit something in me.

7. Dream big, so big that it scares you. People can laugh about it. They can call you crazy. That's good. Dream, plan and execute it. It takes 3.83 failures before an entrepreneur achieves success. Dream so big, but do not be afraid of failure. I have a couple in my mind that I want to achieve, and they terrify me, but that is what makes life exciting, isn't it?

8. Read, read a lot. Reading is a privilege. It's a life hack into understanding how the author thinks and sees the world. The contents of each book (if you choose the right ones, preferably memoirs and autobiographies), are condensed versions of a person's life. You can learn so, so much from just a 300-page book. Learn from their mistakes, learn from their successes, and know that if they can make such a huge impact in their lives, so can you.

9. Whatever you do in this life, it's not legendary unless your friends are there to see it. I'm a fan of HIMYM, and this quote reminds me of how important it is to cherish your friends and never take them for granted. My friends have made such a huge impact in my life, I love them so much, and I never want to forget what they've done for me. Thank you for keeping me sane.

10. Life is not linear. There is no one purpose to life; you don't have to compare yourself to other people, especially your friends. Graduating from college scares me, the year of 2020 scares me, life scares me. It's okay to be scared. Look at all the obstacles you overcame in the last 23 years. You got through those, you fell many, countless times, but you will always pick yourself up and fight again.

11. Facts and feelings are important but not the same. Remember that while your feelings are valid, they may not be real. Differentiate between feelings that are born out of your imagination and those that are real.

12. It is what it is. Whatever it is you are in, the circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists. There is no point in thinking of the what-ifs or the what-could-have-been. Give it your best shot, and never regret it.

13. Sleep more. Grouchy Alo, is not a good look nor a good friend to be around with.

14. Smiling is a universal language. Self-explanatory.

15. Crying relieves stress, and it is okay to cry. A gentle reminder to myself that crying is not a sign of vulnerability. It is because your heart is capable of feeling so much that you need to release some into the world.

16. You can be the ripest peach in the world, and some people still won't like peaches. And that is completely okay. You don't have to please everyone in the room. You do you.

17. Traditions and rituals are more important than you think. Every game night, every hangout at your favorite cafe with your friends, every festival you experience with your family strengthens the relationships you make in life.

18. Coffee is the panacea to life's problems. Most of the time. Oh, and ice cream too.

19. Save your money for the rainy days. Ugh, cliche. But so important. Remember the 50-30-20-10 rule.

20. You don't need that many sports bras and shorts. You do not need many material possessions to be happy in life.

21. For every action, there will always be consequences. Think before you act rashly and if you can live with that consequence, then go ahead. But do not regret it.

22. "The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." I don't think I can convey this as well as Ralph Waldo Emerson, so I am going to leave this here.

23. There is always time to stop and admire the sunset. It's God's way of telling you, 'Good job today'. And sometimes, that's all you really need.