Reflecting tonight, I realized that I have learned a lot in the 21 years that I have awkwardly been stumbling around on planet Earth. Here is a list of what I know to be true.
1. If you have been awake for a long period of time, and you are exhausted, check your feet before you get into the shower or you may realize that you left your socks on and even though no one would ever have to know, it is still embarrassing.
2. Make new friends even when you think that you will have absolutely nothing in common... sometimes you become friends with someone three times your age and because you are both slightly off your rocker, it works and it's awesome.
3. When your mom says, "Are you sure you want to wear THOSE shoes to walk around in all day?" you should probably reconsider your footwear. What she really means is, "Those will kill your feet and I don't want to hear you complain about it all day. And they will kill your feet and then you won't be able to tell her and your ankle might start bleeding a little bit. It's better to go with her pick of shoes.
4. Being nice to people is rewarding. It makes you feel good. So even when someone is super mean to you, be nice to them. Because one day maybe they won't get sprinkles on top of their ice cream cone and you might get double and that is the greatest reward I can think of.
5. Being yourself is way more fun than pretending to be someone you are not... the only time this is not true is in the case of dressing up in costumes. For example, being Pirate Charlotte is way more fun than being Regular Charlotte. Arrrrrrr you with me?
6. Don't let anyone, for any reason, ever tell you that you aren't good enough. You are more than good enough. And you don't have to prove that to anyone. You might not always be the best, but you are the best "you" you can be. So keep that up.
7. There is never a bad time to quote your favorite movie, TV show, or song. Some people might not get it, but someone may get it and that might lead to an awesome conversation and you might become best friends and get matching tattoos or whatever.
8. Being an adult is a lot harder than it looks which is why keeping your childlike fun and creativity and wonder is super important. If you want to color in a coloring book while wearing a princess crown after a stressful day, do it! Because being a kid is fun sometimes. But being an adult is also fun because you can have ice cream for dinner anytime you want and no one can say anything about it because you are a real adult.
9. Some people just won't like you and there is nothing you can do about it. And that's really unfortunate but if they don't like you that is their loss. Just keep doing whatever it is you are doing.
10. Sometimes you might be ditzy and you aren't doing it to get attention, your brain just takes super long pauses and that is okay.
11. When you are cooking, and your pan of fried rice catches on fire, don't try and put out the fire with water... you will burn your arm and then drop the pan on the floor and burn a hole into your linoleum and it will be a reason your family will make fun of you for the rest of your life.
12. Just do what makes you happy, even if people around you don't understand it. And also do what Jesus tells you to do, even if people around you don't understand it. But don't try to fit in, and don't worry about doing what society tells you to do because living your life the way you think is best is super important. And God has a way of always being right about His plan for you life, so just remember that.
13. Always get enough sleep. If you are sleep deprived, life just gets harder. So make sure you sleep, lay down and rest, close your eyes and dream. People who don't get enough sleep are grumpy and who wants to be around a grumpy person? I don't.
14. BE POSITIVE. Really, practice positivity! I have friends who are super negative and I have friends who are super positive and guess who I would rather spend time with. Life is short and it is too beautiful to be negative all the time. I don't really care how many things are going wrong, you are really blessed and you should focus on that. Seriously, be positive.
15. Live your life in service to others. Be the person that your friends want to come to when they need help. Shine Jesus in each area of your life and keep Him at the forefront of your mind.
16. It is okay to cry and anything and everything. I am a super emotional person. I cry when I am happy and when I am sad. I feel things very, very deeply. So if you are out in nature and you see a majestic forest animal looking all royal and stuff, it is okay to tear up a little bit. God makes beautiful things and crying a little bit is okay.
17. And this is the most important one, and I cannot stress this enough... Don't vote for Hilary Clinton.
The end.
