18 Things To Learn By The Time You Turn 18

1. Write things down. Your story is an important one.

2. Don’t waste your time. Spend it on people who will make a difference in your life, who care about what you want and who will help you get it.

3. Communicate what you want. No one can read your mind, and you should never assume you know exactly what someone else is thinking. Whether they surprise or disappoint you, conversation is key.

4. Do things that will be worth remembering. Nothing’s better than a great story.

5. When it’s all said and done, make sure you’ve done more than you’ve said. Actions speak louder than words.

6. Listen to ya mamma. She is your number one fan, and will always want what’s best for you. Even if you go the other way, her advice is priceless.

7. Everyone is kind of weird in their own extremely weird ways. Learn to love their quirks and accept people for who they are. They will undoubtedly follow suit, and do the same for you.

8. Face your fears. Life is too short and too wonderful to be scared.

9. The sweetest things in life are earned. Enjoy what’s been given to you, but savor your accomplishments. There’s nothing quite like being a kick-ass mover and shaker who gets shit done.

10. Feel passionate and alive as often as possible. Laugh, love, and live every day as best you can. It’s the little moments that make life worth it.

11. Loving someone and loving the idea of someone are two different things. Make sure you know what kind of love you’re falling into, before you fall into it.

12. A broken heart will always teach you something about yourself. Relationships end for all kinds of reasons, and sometimes we won’t know what all of them really are. Try to figure out what you wanted (but maybe didn’t get), what you lost, what you’ll miss, and what you deserve.

13. Unrequited love is one of life’s most torturous creations. It’s also the most romantic. A dependable significant other will never match the one that got away, in all of their splendor, glory and brooding mystery. Enjoy the bad boys/girls, but learn to love the good ones. They’ll take better care of you in the long run.

14. Never settle for anything less than butterflies.

15. Be a fantastic teacher. Teach your friends, your family, your peers. Let them into your unique view of the world, and recount the lessons you’ve learnt. They will benefit from your perspective.

16. Go with your gut. Your intuition speaks louder than anyone’s words.

17. Change is inescapable, and usually happens for reasons that will become clear to you over time. Learn to accept it, for better or for worse. Never a dull moment.

18. Be yourself. Make NO apologies for who you are, or what you feel. There is no one on this earth who is quite like you, and diminishing yourself, and who you truly are, would be doing the world a great disservice. Shine bright.