Over the last few months, I feel like I've learnt quite a lot of valuable life lessons. It's been a tough few months, I'm not going to lie, but I've made my way through it and now I'm in a good place. So for this post, I thought I'd share just 18 things that I've learnt in my 18 years of life.
1. If people want to be in your life they will make the effort! Since moving to Stirling, it has been a common occurrence for people to say that they will come and visit me, yet they never do. It's always me that is expected to make the effort. It's taken me a while to realise that friendship works both ways, and that there has to be an equal effort from both sides for the friendship to work.
2. Manners and kindness cost nothing! This is a lesson that working in retail has definitely taught me. My parents always brought me up to be polite, but working in retail shows you just how rude some people can be.
3. Before you can let someone love you, you must first love yourself. If you hate everything about yourself, how you can allow someone else to be completely in love with you? You need to firstly accept who you are, and accept all of your flaws, before you can let someone else do that for you.
4. Always appreciate your parents and the things that they do for you! My Mum and Dad would do anything for me, no questions asked. They do everything they can to make sure that I am happy, and I truly appreciate what they do for me.
5. As annoying as it is, your parents are usually right
6. It's okay to want to help people, but always make time for yourself, too
7. Some people won't like you, but that's okay! This is one that I've had to learn the hard way, especially over the past few months. Of course, knowing that someone doesn't like you can make you feel bad about yourself, but at the end of the day, who really cares what they think.
8. Always do the things that you enjoy, regardless of what other people think
9. It's not selfish to put yourself first sometimes! I'm the type of person that would much rather do things for other people than for myself. I love seeing that the people I love are happy, but I often forget that sometimes, I need to be too.
10. Don't let people walk all over you and treat you like dirt
11. It's okay to change direction! I still have no idea what career what I want to pursue once I finish university, but that's okay. You don't need to have your entire life completely planned out, as you never know what might happen one day.
12. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you feel lost! I've always been quite independent and I like to do things by myself, but this can sometimes be to my detriment. If you need help, always ask for it. Don't struggle with something just because you're too proud to show your softer side.
13. Apologising is a strength, not a weakness
14. People will always have their opinions, but you don't have to agree with them! But by the same token, other people do not have to agree with your opinions. Never push your ideas and opinions on to others.
15. When you have the chance to start over, always give it your all
16. Don't be afraid to be on your own! I love having some time to myself, but I sometimes have too much of it and I tend to get a bit lonely. But over the past few months I've realised that it's okay to go and get a coffee by yourself or to go and get something to eat.
17. People change
18. Losing someone that you love will be one of the hardest things you ever have to deal with
