Life may be full of ups and downs, but it can teach you some invaluable lessons. Some lessons might be hard to learn and some might pop up at the most unexpected times, but each and every one of them are a gift and equally as important. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years — a bit of wisdom from me to you.

1. Open your mind and your ears (figuratively)  

You never know what opportunities you will run into and what you’ll learn through life as long as you keep your mind and ears open. Keep your ears open to the world around you, to gain knowledge, to hear the opinions of others. Being a good listener is underrated. Only through listening do you gain enough knowledge to truly understand the world around you. Keep an open mind towards all the opportunities you encounter in life and towards everyone you meet — these people and opportunities may open your eyes and widen your world in ways you may have never expected. If you stay huddled within your own world and your own mind, you may very well lose the capability to grow to your full potential.

2. Guac is extra, is that okay?

The good things in life, whether it be guac on your burrito bowl, a better job, or an A on your next test, will always require sacrifice. Now, this may seem clear and obvious. However, you not only need to work harder, spend more time, or be willing to pay more for whatever you wish to attain in life. You also need to be careful in picking goals which require large amounts of sacrifice. You only have a limited amount of time, energy, and money — you can’t do everything, so choose wisely.

3. One (or a lot) less problem(s) without you

We’ve all had that one really negative, judgemental friend who we are not on good terms with anymore, and for a good reason. In general, you must have a positive outlook on life in order to succeed and reach goals that they set for his or herself. But all it takes is one source of malicious judgement and negative energy to really take away from your desire and motivation to succeed. That is why it is important to make sure to surround yourself with those who are supportive, encouraging and offer constructive advice to help you achieve your goals and grow as a person. It’s always hard to say goodbye, but make sure you do to those who are negative influences in your life. You’ll thank yourself later.

4. You’re okay, I guess

I’m kidding, you’re probably extraordinary in one way or the other. But, it’s important to never get too full of yourself, to never lose your sense of humility. Once you reach a point where you think you are too good for anyone or anything, where you think you know everything there is to know, your capability and potential plateau. You stop growing and believe that there is no more room for you to improve. Yet, there are countless possibilities and ways one can improve, always. If you lose your sense of humility, you only hurt and limit yourself.

5. In all seriousness, learn to take your own (good) advice

It is easier to be all talk and dish out advice than it is to really take initiative and apply it to your own life. Easier said than done, after all. But if you’ve got some good advice, you might as well try it out.

Sincerely,

A somewhat composed junior