Life lessons for the last 20 years.

If there is anything that i learnt for the past 20 years of my maybe-meaningless-maybe-not life, that this would be it. 

1) Do not base your happiness  on people or on them being in your life. That happiness is a fleeting moment. It is scary letting someone in, but it is much more scary being dependent on somebody to stay happy. To be happy. To wake up happy. Learn to be happy from within. Learn to be happy with yourself. Doing things that make you smile, things that make you realize how amazing and beautiful the world around you is.  Know that people are not yours to keep - they are yours to appreciate.

2) People come and go. Cherish the ones who make an effort to stay longer in your life. Do not dwell  much on those who don't.

3) Learn to let go. There is a point in your life, where no matter how much effort you put in - it won't be enough. Trying to stay afloat will start destroying you from within - ripping of iece by piece of your soul. Just breath. Relax. Sadly, certain things can not be saved. Let them go and remember the good times you had.  It is time to build something new now. 

4) Give back. And not in a they-did-sth-for-me-so-i-am-going-to-be-nice-to-them kinda way. Learn to give without expecting anything in return. 

5) Be positive. Believe that good things happen. Believe that there are still good people out there. Believe you can trust them. Now, there is a difference between letting someone fuck you over and over and over again and......simply being cautious in the future, while still having some faith in the human kind.

6) Do not ever go to bed without making up with people you got into fight with.

7) Eventually you will get burnt. That girl. making remarks about your love life (that she knows nothing about) during the business meeting?  Ouch. You actually thought she was nice. That guy, that couldn't deal with the fact that your opinions on life differ? Asshole, right?  Let's just say - losers also come and go. Don't worry about these people. Do not spend another second of your precious little life analyzing why these people chose to be mean to you. Worry about things that matter. 

8) You do not have to prove anything to anyone. You are not in a courtroom, sir. Live your life to the fullest and allow your potential to grow. What your kindergarten frenemy thinks about your prom-dress that you wore 4 years ago just doesn't make the list of "Things to give a rat's ass about".

9) Do not ever stop learning. Never. Always have a book to read with you. Sigh up for a language course, if only to improve your shower signing abilities. Travel. Watch. Listen. Eat. Enjoy. Life is short, so just look around and make sure you fall in love with everything you can see and everything you  can touch.

10) Love. Now there are a few people i know of who would say - try it all, just for the sake of it. I think there is something else here though. Listen to your intuition. The whole world might tell you that this is a bad idea, that you shouldn't, you can't, you absolutely must not. The important thing is knowing what is right for you. If kissing that boy you just met 15 minutes ago, while spilling the half of your Starbucks coffee on him, seems like a good idea - then do it. But know...you are doing it for yourself. What your facebook status will say in the morning, what your friend will think when she sees how hot he looks like,  what your ex-boyfriends dumb face will look like - honey, it just doesn't matter. None of those things do. Especially when it comes to love and real friendships. People tend to forget this sometimes. 

11) Be honest. Do not try to be somebody you are not. You are here, you exist and that, in itself, is a miracle. Imagine only how many variables were needed to be set right on the course of this universe - so you, you sitting at the computer and reading this dumb letter of mine, would exist? Now go hug your Mum or Dad, or your Sister or your Brother, your pet. Nobody there? Don't be sad. There is somebody out there in the world who is on the way to find you. Just wait a bit. I am sure he or she will get there soon.

12) Smile.

“I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou