Good Morning!
I hope you are having a wonderful day!

So recently I have seen the "17 things I learnt by 17" featuring on Youtube and blogs all over twitter and although I am 19 I though it would still be just as great to do this, as it means 2 extra things I have learnt. My life has definitely been a roller coaster, especially throughout secondary school, I learnt so many things but in the process, a lot of things also took me down and left me to struggle, but you always get knocked down and then get up again! Although being a teenager was the most horrible years of my life, I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't go through everything that made me so unhappy.

So let's get too it;

1. There will always be bitches, bitches everywhere
One thing I learnt is no matter where you go, there will always be bitches. The world is full of them but this is completely okay. Bitches are there to bring a complication/hurdle to your life, however they are also there to prove you are strong enough to ignore them.

2. It doesn't matter what others are doing, it matter what you are doing.
So many people focus on what everyone else is doing, what trends are going on and whether they should involve themselves with these trends and what their friends are doing. Do not be one of these people! It matters what you are doing, and where you are going with your life and this doesn't involve what everyone else is doing to get you wherever you want to be.

3. Happiness is more important than anything else.
So recently I wrote a post, a rather personal post about why I chose happiness over a part time job which you can find here. I will always choose happiness over anything else, because why would life be worth living if you weren't happy? It wouldn't make any sense! I can't express how important happiness is and if you're not happy, figure out why you're not happy and change it. Happiness won't only make you feel healthier physically and emotionally, but it will lead you to feeling more successful with your life. You're capable of doing things you never thought you'd be able to do.

4. Don't be afraid to voice your opinion.
I spent the whole of school not voicing my opinion because I was worried about what people would think. Being bullied already was difficult enough, but having more issues on top of this would have been a struggle. If you have an opinion, say something. If you think something's right, make sure everyone knows. You have no idea who you are inspiring, if you don't voice your opinion.

5. You are stronger than what you think you are.
Think it's the end of the world? No idea what to do next? Don't worry, you're not the only person in that position. Fortunately, you are stronger than what you think you are. Like they say "Fall seven times, stand up eight". You can stand up taller than you have ever stood before, you just need to believe that you can. I promise, it's not the end of the world.

6. Chase your dreams.
Do you want to be a dancer? then dance. Do you want to train to be a nurse? Go for it. You can do whatever you want to do, as long as you chase your dreams! These are your dreams, not anyone else's and no one is going to chase them for you. You have the power to change your life, every single day.

7. If something is on your mind, talk about it.
This has taken me 19 years to figure out and I'm finally able to do it. Don't make the mistake I did. If something is on your mind, please talk about it to someone, anyone. Bottling things up is the worst thing you could ever do, it will make you feel a lot worse and whatever it is that is on your mind, will not go away. Sometimes, writing things down is always a good idea if you don't want to tell anyone. Being able to express it even in speech or writing, letting it out of your mind is the best therapy.

8. Be so good, they can't ignore you.
What they say is true, smile because it will piss off everyone who doesn't like you and this is why you should be so good they can't ignore you. It's not about showing off, or being "big headed", it's expressing that you are capable of amazing things, and they're not going to get you down. As well as this, it also inspires so many people! Make a difference and be amazing!

9. Do not follow the crowd.
Now, this is something I have never done and it's definitely something that I do not regret. I've always been bullied for not following the crowd. I have never fake tanned, I didn't go with the slug eyebrows and I never wore so much makeup in school I looked cakey. Although I was bullied for being different and pure jealousy, I knew that following the crowd would mean that I wouldn't be true to myself. You are an individual and you are different, let the crowd follow you.

10. Do not look back on your past.
The past is the past, no matter how much you look back at it, it's not going to change. Learn from your mistakes and carry on looking forward to the future and focus on what's happening right now; your life is a gift, that's why it's called the present.

11. Nothing is worth the stress.
I am definitely a stresser. I stress over the most silliest things, the things I can't change and the things which really aren't important. I stress till the point I lose a lot of hair. However, nothing is worth the stress and this is something I have come to realise over the past year. No matter what I do, I can't change certain things and they're not worth stressing over.

12. Throw away anyone who is toxic.
Another point I have learnt over the past 3 years is to throw away anyone who is toxic and I've seen a lot of people come to realise this too. Happiness is important, we know this but occasionally it's a person which is making you unhappy. The best way to deal with these people is to throw them away. Are they worth the stress? Are they worth being unhappy over? Can you have a life filled with happiness and no stress by getting rid of their toxic comments? If your answers are yes, then let them go. They are no important.

13. Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.
I learnt that you don't get anywhere unless you try. On so many occasions I have been too anxious to try something because of failing, however I learnt that a lot of accomplishments come from trying. Trying something will either lead to success, or failure. But even then, you can learn from failures and try again, it's not the end of the world. For example, I failed two driving tests with my driving instructor. I didn't want to try again and I felt so disheartened. On my third test, I chose to use my car instead of my instructors, and I took my mum with me as well. Although I felt like I was going to fail again, I tried and I made changes to ensure that I passed, and I did with only two minors. Learning from failures is so important and the way in which a lot of people succeed is by failing first.

14. School isn't important.
I'm sure this isn't the case for everyone but it was definitely the case for me. School was not important. I had less than 50% every single year in school and all of my teachers told me I would fail all of my exams, but I didn't, I passed them all. Although I did get into college because I passed my exams, I know a lot of people who didn't pass all of their exams and still got onto the course. So what's the point in GCSE's if you can redo them in college or sixth form? Don't stress yourself out over school, because you can redo your exams if need be. It's not the end of the world.

15. Everyday is a chance to change your life.
Although this is a quote, it is a quote which I will always stand by and it's something I have learnt as I have grown up. Each and every day you have the opportunity to make a change to your life, every day is a new opportunity and a fresh start if the day before wasn't very great. You have the option when you're young to decide what to do with you life, and to be honest you have the option when you're an adult too but not many people choose to make changes. There is always something which can change your life, you just need to find what that something is. For me, I changed my application for university at the very last minute, I didn't even change my personal statement and this has changed my life and I am so much happier now. I created my blog, which has also changed my life and my boyfriend took the chance and asked me to be his girlfriend nearly two years ago. This has definitely changed his life. You can change your life any day, as long as you've got the nerve.

16. Not everyone will like you.
I learnt this in primary school and it's stood by me throughout the whole of my life. Not everyone will like you, you are not a slice of pizza. No matter what you do, or what changes you make, you cannot make everyone happy and this is part of life, get used too it. But the best part about it is, smiling at these people will truly piss them off and it's the best feeling in the world because you're not letting them get to you. Shine bright and don't let idiots ruin your day.

17. Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.
This is something else I came to realise recently when I was in a job which was making me so unhappy. I spent so much time trying to make a living, and trying to ensure I had enough money to pay for my car insurance etc, I forgot to make a life. But how can you forget that your happiness and your life is more important than money? Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. You can love everything you do, and enjoy your life at the same time because you're happy. and you feel wonderful.

18. You can do it, no matter what it is.
This is as simple as it sounds, you can do it, no matter what it is. If you want to go climb the highest mountain, you can do it. If you want to become a teacher, you can do that too. If you want to reach 10,000 followers on your twitter account, you can do it. These things may take one day, or they might take a few years but you'll do it; forward is forward, no matter what the pace is.


19. In order to succeed you must believe that you can.
I never used to believe this until very recently when I believed I could do something, and I was able to succeed. This is such an important point for people who are doing their driving test as well. You need to believe that you can and this is something I really struggled with when I was learning to drive. When I went into my last test, I cried, I knew I couldn't do it and I believe the only thing that helped me to pass was the fact I was driving in my own car. However, I knew I was able to pass in my car because I was driving it every day.
If you are trying to succeed in something, believe that you can; you never know where this might take you.