1. Netflix will always be there for you.
Tough night? Netflix. Bored? Netflix. Can't sleep? Netflix. Want to procrastinate? Ne… Well you get the point.
2. You will not have it all together like you thought you would.
Remember when you were in high school and thought everyone who was 18 or older had it all together? Well, shortly you will realize just how wrong you were.. truth is, when you get into your 20's, you realize no one has it all together, and we don't even try to pretend we do. Our situations are not situated all the time, but that's okay. It makes life fun and adventurous, and of course, stressful. But hey, that's what Netflix is for.
3. Things will change… a lot.
It seems like 10 things change a week in your 20's. Adventures happen, tragedies happen, fights happen, but most of all, opportunities happen. It seems like just about everyone around me in their 20's have all kinds of opportunities come throughout their years. Job offers, traveling, love, moving. I promise that life will be nothing like you thought it would be when you were younger. Absolutely nothing like it.
4. Life is hard.
This may be obvious. Life has always been hard. But what I have learned is that no one told us life would be this hard, but no one promised it would be easy either. You are not promised anything, and every challenge offers a lesson or teaches you what you want or don't want in life. Sometimes tough times will come crashing down all at once, and sometimes it will happen just after you thought you found true happiness. Life is full of surprises, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel that reminds you why you are here living this adventure in the first place. Keep going, I promise it's worth it to keep seeking happiness and overcoming challenges.
5. We are all on a search for happiness.
Going off of number 4, we are all on a search for that undying happiness we see in movies. We all have our own idea of happiness, but at the end of the day, we all just want to radiate enthusiasm and joy throughout our life. But at what point to we stop craving happiness and just learn to be content with what we have? No matter what we have in life, we always see one thing that we believe could makes us happier. Maybe it is time to just live in the moment and be happy with where we are at right now.
6. Your heart will break and it will hurt.
This one is a tough one. At some point our hearts will break whether it be the person we thought was "the one", a long lasting friendship, or losing a family member. Heart break is not beautiful, and it may be one of the most painful things you go through. They say it is necessary to go through and things will get better, but cliches aside, it really hurts and it takes more out of you than you think. But yes, it will get better and you will learn from it.
7. Mental Health comes first.
I cannot stress this enough. The past few years, this has been the biggest realization I have made. If you are miserable, you need to reach out and try and get better. Whatever it is you are going through, get help. Do what makes you happy. Learn to work through it and you will become stronger. Let go of the fear, keep living, and learn how to control whatever it is you are going through. I absolutely understand that depression and anxiety do not go away, but I know for a fact that getting help will let you learn what to do about it. Please, please put your mental health above all.
8. Physical health comes second.
I am not saying become a body builder, or a crazy gym rat. What I am saying is to get exercise and do what you can to stay moving. Working out helps you feel better, creates a healthy lifestyle, and helps your mental health. It helps balance, energy, endurance, strength, and how you feel about yourself.
9. You will do things that scare the hell out of you.
This one is self-explanatory. We all have different fears, but we will all do something that scares us yet helps us grow. Moving out, graduating college, getting into the real world, reconnecting with someone. It is all about growing!!
10. Life will never make sense.
This probably doesn't make sense to some of you right now because things may be going great. But how did you get to that point? What if you hadn't gone into the coffee shop where you met the love of your life? What if you hadn't taken that 101 class that changed your life? Life is weird. Embrace it.
11. You will learn everyone is fighting a battle.
The people with the brightest smiles, loudest laughs, and contagious happiness is going through a tough battle, guaranteed. We all have our challenges, so be kind to all that you meet. They may really need it.
12. Having a soft heart in a cruel world is tough.
For those of you who give love to all those you meet, put your whole heart into relationships, and really have a compassionate and caring heart, are courageous. That is really tough to have in a world full of people who are insensitive, angry, and rude. But know that there are a lot of people out there who have soft hearts, and it is great only because not everyone has one. It makes it easy to appreciate.
13. Friendship keeps you going.
Find those friends who call you when you need a laugh. The ones who genuinely care about you and love to remind you how great you are. The ones who just "get you" and remember small details about your life and be that same kind of friend in return. They will be so important to you. Friendship is a beautiful thing.
14. Everyone goes through life at a different pace.
When in your 20's, you are at that age where some of your friends are getting engaged, some are having babies, and some are too drunk to find their phone. Don't feel bad for where you are at in life; you are where you are supposed to be as long as you are doing what you love, and living life the way you want to. We all have different paths. Again, life is weird and doesn't make sense to us.
15. You will meet all kinds of people.
You will meet people that you cannot believe exist, some who have crazy talents that seem impossible, and some who you feel you cannot live without. This world is full of different people, and that is what makes life fun. Embrace all types of people.
16. No one in their 20's knows how to "adult".
What is this thing people call "adulting"? How does one do that? I think I will just find an adultier adult because growing up sucks and I don't know what I am doing. My favorite is when people ask me what I am doing with my life and all I can respond with is "uh.. it's a surprise."
17. Getting ready for the day becomes a chore.
Remember in high school how we would spend hours getting ready to look good? Yeah that ends really quickly. Now we sit in class at college and think to ourselves "shoot.. did I even brush my hair today? Ah, who cares."
18. Sleep any chance you get.
This is totally acceptable because soon you will be in the real world and won't remember what sleep even feels like…
19. Live in the moment, not in your phone.
It seems everywhere we go, people are too busy taking pictures of what is happening rather that living in the moment. Don't do it for the insta. Be where you are. That is what true happiness is. Besides, you won't get as many 'likes' as you thought you would, even if you use the dog snapchat filter.
20. The best way to learn is to travel and experience.
Life is so fun when you take a break from your routine to go on trips, learn about other cultures, experience life outside of your comfort zone. Now that is real "on the job" training, except it pertains to life training. Go explore! The greatest thing you can spend your money on is experiences.
21. Love is the strongest currency at all.
All those medals on the wall, degrees and certificates, and money in your bank account means little to nothing if you do not have someone you love to share it with. I love love, and I know a lot of you do too. Love is a beautiful thing and I believe it keeps the world going. Love from family, friends, and significant others is true happiness.