Turning 21

 On August 23, I turned 21 years old. Here are 21 things that I learned this year that I will be taking with me for the rest of my life.

1. Nothing is ever that serious. Really. It's important to care about things, of course, and it is important to live a life with intention, but it's so crucial to not get stuck on little details. Things will work out as long as you always try your best.
2. A caveat of not taking anything too seriously is to care deeply. It is always better to get hurt in the process of life than to shelter yourself. We are meant to be hurt in order to grow and learn, so sometimes it's okay to care too much about a relationship or a friendship.
3. Get sleep. Lots of sleep. As much sleep as you can, in fact.
4. Don't think too hard over things you cannot control. If we could control everything that happened in our life then chances are none of us would be where we are now.
5. Do not settle. Don't lower your standards for anyone or for anything. If you feel as though you have sacrificed so much to keep a person or a thing in your life with nothing in return, let it go. 
6. Don't hold grudges. Life is far too short to live it in spite of someone else. Live it for yourself
7. Eat some fruit. Please. Your immune system is literally begging you.
8. Try to exercise as much as possible. I find that I'm always much happier when I have some sort of physical activity, even if it's something as simple as walking to the grocery store, just do it.
9. Call your mom.
10. Try as hard as you can to not compare yourself to people you see, especially online. I know everyone says this but it's so hard not to sometimes. Just try to remember that everyone is at least 20% less happy than they let the internet see.
11. Go to office hours! I can't emphasize how much making time to talk to my professors one on one has helped me. Get them a coffee and get to know them.
12. Always stand up for yourself and your friends. This goes hand in hand with not settling for less than you deserve. If you feel like someone is trying to make you feel small, don't let them. Chances are, they only feel the need to make fun of you because they feel small themselves.
13. Read your assigned readings for class. Please.
14. Don't be afraid of feeling embarrassed. The amount of times I have felt overwhelmingly mortified in my 21 years of living is too many to count, and chances are, nobody else remembers. It is more than okay to make a fool of yourself even once in a while. Confidence is always key.
15. Learn how to take care of yourself. I know for a fact that I was not feeding myself properly my past three years in college, and that greatly impacted both my mental and physical health. Learn how to cook, and learn how to cook well. 
16. It is okay to say no for any reason at any time.
17. Get off your phone as much as possible. In 2023, especially with Tik Tok, our phones have become weaponized against us and are so heavily addicting. Please make some time to go outside and do things with your friends and family instead.
18. Learn how to make a proper (and sincere) apology. You are going to hurt peoples feelings, it's a part of life. Don't blame others for how you've made them feel. Take accountability and learn how to say that you're sorry.
19. Ask for help whenever you need it. For the first 20 years of my life I was far too proud to ask for help when I needed it. My rational was that if I can do it myself, then I will, but it doesn't have to be that way. You have people in your life that love you and are willing to do things for you. Let them.
20. You never know everything that is going on in someone else's life. Be as kind as possible to everyone.
21. Do not live in fear of what other people think about you. The things that you don't know could fill a million rooms. There is always a better thing to care about than how others perceive you.