the lessons i have to keep relearning

i'm only a freshman (only 6 more days of that though... whoop whoop) sophomore and i'll admit i don't know that much. but i've learned so much these past few years. As the end of the school year is coming (can I get another cheer for that? ) I've been thinking a lot about how far I've come and what I want to be doing with my life and what I can get better at. As I was thinking about all this I noticed a pattern, there are some lessons you learn once and know are true and you try to live them as best you can. But then there are the lessons you have to keep relearning over and over again. These are some of those lessons- maybe writing will finally help me learn them?

1. be friendly- you're not going to regret it. Sometimes it's just so stinkin' scary to be friendly. To reach out and talk to people you aren't sure like you or know you. Or you are afraid it might seem weird cause you don't talk much. But I've find that I rarely ever regret being friendly...and I usually end up scolding myself when I'm not. That extra smile or wave, the thoughtful thing you did, the compliment, the happy birthday, the card, the candy, the little present, the invitation, saying hi to an adult, telling someone good job, the high five, talking to someone who looks lonely, the sacrifice, the surprise- they all make a difference. Plus reaching out to people just makes you feel a little giddy (and for a sometimes kind of shy girl like me it makes me want to give myself a big high five)
2. the little things make such a big difference. this kind of goes with the one before, but stop trying to do such huge elaborate things all the time and show that you care for people in little ways that are meaningful to them. drop off some cookies, leave a little note in their backpack, give them a piece of candy, really anything to let people know you are thinking of them because isn't it the best feeling ever when you know someone has been thinking of you? Fun Fact: one of my friends gave me a little succulent the other day (it's in the pic above) & it totally made my day. I've actually always wanted a succulent and everytime I went into target I wanted to buy one but never wanted to actually spend money haha. succulents are just so cute! 
3. it doesn't matter what other people think. i'm not going to write a huge long paragraph filled with cliches that are true but you've heard them a million times. Go out there and rock you. 
4. this won't matter in 5 years. oh my gosh this is a biggie. High school (or whatever awkward thing you do or say) really won't matter in 5.. probably even 1. year. Nobody is going to look back and think oh my gosh i can't believe shelby made that really lame joke and nobody laughed or wow i'll never forget that thing that shelby said that could have offended me just a little bit even though she totally meant it nicely and it just came out wrong. & if they do, they aren't worth having in your life.
5. you can't make everyone happy. i'm a generally happy person, sure i have my bad days and my rants and my complaints but in general i think this life is a pretty happy thing. As a result of this sometimes I feel responsible for lifting everyone up and encouraging them and helping them all be happy too. But I've got to let go of that. It's not my job to make everyone happy. It's my job to encourage and be nice and do what makes me happy, but I can't make you happy too. I can try to help ya out any way you need me to (trust me I really really really want to help!) but I can't change your attitude. 
6. sometimes life just sucks  isn't the most enjoyable thing ever. on the flipside, sometimes it's okay to be sad. i'm not promoting a week long pity party full of ice cream and crying, but every now and then you can have a sad night (and then the next day you can eat ice cream and jam to your favorite music and have a party) this one is hard for me because i really just want to be happy but if you never let out your emotions and keep them all trapped in, then you're never going to be truly happy. sometimes you've just got to cry a little bit, 
7. i actually need sleep to function properly. i forget this a lot. i'm not talking about all nighters or staying up until 2 because duh, i know I can't live off that. i'm talking about the oh I can totally read one more chapter before I start my homework that has to be done tonight even though it's already 9. sleep is important, enough said. 
8. priorities. i think everyone has trouble with this. read your scriptures before you check instagram and pinterest because if you don't you will be really tired and Heavenly Father deserves better than that. spend time with your family before you read your book because books will always be there but before you know it you will be grown and leaving your family.

and that's all i can think of right now. but i think the most important thing to remember is that life is long. I remember the first time i saw that i was kind of life huh? isn't life short? haha. and i'm not saying you can put off learning and doing and being your best self, but when you're trying so hard and you just keep messing up- we all do- just remember you don't have to be perfect right now. All you have to be doing is trying. Trying to be happy and kind. Trying to improve. Because really, in the grand scheme of things that's all you can do- try. So don't get down on yourself! Get back up & try again.

you've got this!