Last spring was a very eye-opening time for me. That semester brought me a lot of clarity, so I made a list of the things I learned in hopes that it might help you as the fall season approaches.

1. Not everyone will be who you want them to be. Don’t reconstruct who you are to compensate for who they’re not
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2. Everyone deserves kindness, but not everyone deserves your time or your efforts. You can still be kind without giving someone all of who you are
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3. Not everyone will be your friend in the same way as others. That’s okay. You will have friends that are for having fun, for serious talks, for fooling around, for studying, etc. but appreciate each one of them anyways
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4. Cultivate curiosity on the people you appreciate and the people you are just beginning to meet
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5. You are allowed to leave toxic people. People also are also allowed to leave you-even if you might not always know why
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6. You’re not going to have the opportunity to get closure from everything and everyone
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7. You are allowed to change your mind about things even if you can’t change the decision you made that was based on that belief
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8. You will only live in your body once and you will only be able to live in your body in the moment you are in. Take care of it.
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9. You do not have to share your story on terms other than your own
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10. It’s never too late to appreciate your mom and vocalize it or express it in acts of gratitude
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11. Practice vulnerability within yourself before and while practicing it with others. Your ability to be honest with yourself can transpire into confidence in who you are and how much you decide to share with others
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12. Your bond with others doesn’t just have to be built on struggle
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13. Acceptance doesn’t have to mean forgetting the memory, it can also mean affirming the experience as its own without letting yourself believe it is a reflection of who you are
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With love,
Michelle