25 Things I Wish I Had Known When I Was 18

In light of my 25th birthday today, I decided to put together a little list of some of the things that I've learned over the past 7 years.  Things that I now try to live by.  And while I know that most people need to learn things like this through their own experiences, it may be of use to someone else.... or at least cause them to think.  Here's hoping that in the coming years I learn many more things to live by!!

1: Stay focused on the future, always planning, dreaming & striving for what’s ahead.  When you’re in the habit of focusing on your past memories or current happiness, you tend to get stuck where you’re at.  When you’re focused on the future, you end up changing, growing & learning.  You become more successful, more passionate, and more motivated to do more.

2: True friends are there when you need them, not just when they need you.  It’s rare to find friends like these, and it’s not always easy to be this type of friend to others.

3: Appreciate and savor those gleaming moments of joy in life while you have them.  They are often few and far between.  Life is a balance of pain and joy, grief and happiness.  Pain happens when you care, but so do love and joy.

4: Learn to be happy with what you have.  Put your energy toward doing more instead of having more.

5: Perfection is boring.  Don’t strive for perfection.  Be the best version of “you” that you can be.  “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” -Judy Garland

6: If you are constantly being disappointed and let down by a friend, lower your expectations for that person.  If you don’t expect much from that friend, then you won’t be disappointed.

7: Successful people surround themselves with people who are classy, passionate & driven.  Friends should be mutually inspirational and motivating.

8: Fear can rule your life if you let it.  Don’t.

9: “Sooner or later in life, the things you love you lose.”  That doesn’t mean you should love less.  It means you should love more.

10: Less is more.  Simpler is usually better.

11: A lot of trouble would be saved in life if more people would just think.

12: People rarely change, and they never change for someone else.  If they do, it’s because they wanted it badly enough to make it happen.

13: Moderation is key.  Too much or too little of anything can be unhealthy.

14: Difficult situations are best taken as challenges.  Take them head-on and do what you can to achieve personal growth from them.

15: It takes far more than love to make a marriage.  Love is not reason enough in and of itself to make a binding commitment to share your life with another person.

16: It can be tricky to have roommates.  It can potentially ruin friendships, but it can also potentially provide you with a wonderful, unique sense of family.  Put a lot of thought into it before you jump into any new living situation.

17: Do what you say you will do.  Integrity is important.  It goes hand in hand with respect and trust.

18: Actions really do speak louder than words.  Take responsibility for your decisions.  Acknowledge your mistakes, and celebrate your successes.

19: Know your job, and be as efficient at it as you can be.

20: You don’t have to do what you went to school to do in order to love your job and be happy.  Being respected and appreciated by the people you work with contributes more to that than the job itself.  Putting yourself into your work will help you become recognized as a valuable, passionate, driven worker.

21: Try to be forgiving to all people.  If someone hurts you, forgive them.  We all screw up sometimes.  If someone hurts you repeatedly, forgive them but get them out of your life.  Don’t sacrifice your own well-being and allow someone to walk all over you.

22: The best way to remedy a bad argument is to examine yourself in the moment.  Calm yourself down, listen to what the other person is saying, and try to speak in a soft, understanding voice.  9 times out of 10, the other person will respond by doing the same, and you can talk through your issues much more easily.  This can be extremely difficult to do, but it will improve your relationships tremendously.

23: You don’t have to know what career path you want to take right when you start college.  Open your mind to trying many different things, and find what you truly care about.

24: Emotions are powerful, but they should not control your opinions and decisions.  Thinking logically and rationally will help you guide your emotions and learn to respond appropriately in most situations.

25: You will get older. Time is not your friend or your enemy. Continue to live, learn, love, laugh, and you will make the best of it. How you spend your time says more about you than your age.