Hello my fellow Steemians!

Yesterday (1/5/18) at 1:50pm EDT I turned twenty years old. Crazy, right? I'm out of my teenage years and into my roaring twenties, so I plan to make the best of them! I figured I'd make a post highlighting some things I've learned (ten things, because twenty is excessive) during my short, but at the same time not-so-short-anymore life. These are things that I've come to understand through my experiences and perspective, so I'm sure some of you will see things differently; and who knows, maybe I will see these things differently down the road.

So without further ado, let us dive right in!

1 - You can't change people.

I've learned that people only change if THEY have a true desire to, and that goes for yourself. People get bogged down trying to change the people around them far too often. Life becomes much happier once you begin to accept people for who they are.

2 - Once you lose someone's trust, good luck getting it back.

Trust is one of the most powerful emotions on the planet. It takes forever to build up trust, but it can easily be lost in an instant. It's a lot of pressure! Cheating on a significant other is what comes to most people's minds when we talk about trust, but there's so many other instances where trust plays a key role. And when people have trust and faith in you, it's a true responsibility to keep their trust and faith alive.

3 - The world doesn't cater to your feelings.

This one is pretty self explanatory. The world can be pretty mean and pretty tough, oftentimes trying to knock us down when we're already down. The key is to look at what life is giving you as a challenge. Once you overcome that challenge, not only do you grow more as a person, but you're able to help others going through the same experience.

4 - Family is important.

My grandfather recently died, which encompassed an array of emotions for me, including me trying to figure out what my grandfather would want me to take away from all the lessons he'd taught me through the years. Now he had a measurable amount of money, but what he showed me was you can't take money with you - but the love you had for your friends and family is something that will last forever. So make sure your friends and loved ones know how much you care about them! For one day they will no longer be there to make them aware.

5 - Honesty is the best policy.

I thought that sometimes it would be better to make slight white lies to spare people's feelings or to get out of things I didn't have time to do. Honestly I couldn't have been more wrong. The saying goes the truth will set you free, and this couldn't be more correct. People will truly be appreciative of the honesty, and you save yourself the agony of tangling yourself in your own white lies.

6 - Kindness is powerful.

Honestly one small act of kindness can change the world for someone. Holding the door for them, telling them you like their outfit, complimenting them on their smile - simple things (yet potentially creepy things if done incorrectly), these simple things can truly make someone's day. Giving back to the community is also an important way to pass it forward.

7 - Your work is a reflection of yourself.

If you want to put the best version of yourself out there, or create the best image for other people, your work is oftentimes the best way to do so. Taking pride in your work is essentially taking pride in yourself. So with anything - at your job, here on Steemit, or even in your hobby - putting your best effort into your work is the best way to achieve success and is the best way to positively reflect yourself.

8 - You only get one body, so treat it kindly.

In this sense, it's important to eat everything in moderation, exercise to meet whatever goals you have, and to listen to your body when you need more rest or more activity. You only get one body, and treating it kindly can have profound effects on your life. An interesting metaphor I've heard for eating healthy is the equivalent of saying you wouldn't put low octane fuel in your sports car, so why would you put junk in your body? Just something to think about.

9 - Don't pretend to know something you don't.

This is especially important in the research field I'm currently in. Pretending you know something in science that you truly don't understand is the quickest way to be humiliated in front of all of your peers. However, this carries over in everything. If you don't understand something, save yourself the trouble and ask questions or do research to further grasp the subject, so that when you're having a conversation with someone you don't have to pretend and look stupid further into the conversation.

And last but not least...

10 - Trust your intuition.

Trust your gut feeling. Almost every time you know if something is wrong or not going to work, but we let our mind cloud our judgement.

I wish the best for everyone here on Steemit and abroad, and hope that you all are looking forward to what 2018 has in store. Thanks for reading!