Realing it all in: The things I learned post- college

THINGS I LEARNED IN  ( post ) COLLEGE -

1. College is a surreal parallel of the “real world.”  You will work with idiots and jerks, you will be directed by the self-righteous and power-hungry. You will have times when you want to quit, and times you lose faith in humanity as a whole. Stay focused on why you’re there. Tough it out.
2.  All things in moderation. Especially Patron and anything 100 proof or more.
3. Value menus and quarters - never underestimate the power of a dollar.
4. You will crave Chik-fil-a with the upmost ferocity. On Sundays.
5. People change. Conditions change. You must evolve to accept and grow with these changes.
6. Just because you don’t understand it, doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
7. There are two sides to every story. Make every effort to understand both.
8. Some people will never escape themselves.  Don’t hate them. Be sad for them that they will never see 
9. how vastly beautiful the world outside their own head/ass is.
10. Your weakest moments are the ones in which you find your true friends. As well as your own strength.
11. No one will ever think the same way that you do in every aspect.  Count it as a blessing. Be grateful that you are the only you in the world, and have the same courtesy for everyone else.
12. Tragedy teaches you how to value what you have and who you are. It will change you, whether you want it to or not.
13. Never expect someone to fail. You’d be surprised the effect one person’s belief can have on them.
14. Parents are people, too. They have thoughts, hopes, feelings, goals, that are completely independent of you. Embrace it.
15. People are a direct result of their upbringing.  That being said, your upbringing never ceases.  At some point, you must be held accountable for your own actions.
16. The cliche is true - Love will find you when you least expect it. You can’t plan it, you can’t control it, and there is no deciding factor of how it will affect you.
17. Telling someone how you feel is rarely wrong.  Judging someone for how they feel often is.
18. Nothing is really definite, black and white, or concrete.
19. All play and no work is a purposeless life.  All work and no play is a dispassionate one… A great fix to that is to combine them ;)
20. Do not apologize for passion.  See it and feel it as much as possible; be wise in how you direct it.
21. Take pride in your mistakes. Not in making them, but in learning from them.
22. No matter which way you spin it or how many times you apologize, what you say in anger has a lasting effect.
23. Say what you mean, and mean what you say.
24. Value the opinions of your loved ones, take them into consideration, but don’t let them discount what you want for yourself.
25. No matter how well you think you know yourself or someone else, you will be surprised.
26. You learn more about knowing nothing as you grow older than you do about knowing anything at all.  You know?
27. Hating someone takes so much more energy than ignoring them does.
28. Pick your battles. Bickering is frustrating and pointless.
29. Don’t try to have an opinion on everything. It’s impossible to be so informed, and an uneducated opinion is a dangerous one.
30. If you don’t trust them, be it friend, family, or romantic partner, you shouldn’t be with them.
31. Life is to be celebrated. Find the good things. Hold on to them, and never let go of the happy moments.
32. People are imperfect.
33. Admitting wrong-doing is a sign of maturity. It’s also safer than a fist-fight.
34. Ask yourself if it really matters.
35. There is a difference between complaining, and venting. If it’s the former, have the balls to do something about it. If it’s the latter, let it out, and then let it go.
36. One step at a time.
37. Learning has little to do with organized education.
38. Real love is unconditional. It may change form, but it never disappears.
39. It takes more than love to make any relationship work. Every relationship, friend, family, or romance, takes a lot of hard work and respect.
40. Say thank-you. Say it often, and in as many ways as possible.
41. Things are only as complicated as you make them.
42. Accept all compliments with a smile.
43. Take an interest in what your loved ones care about.
44. Always be open to new opportunities.
45. If you’re going to change yourself, don’t do it for anyone who asked you to, do it for you. You’re worth it.
46. There is a time for all things. Except robots. Laugh, cry, don’t forget to feel.
47. You can only do as much as you can do, and that’s all you can do.
48. If it’s worth having, it’s worth fighting for.
49. Do something big that scares you on your own. It’s the only way to really figure out what it is that you’re capable of, and it just might point you in the direction of finding who you want to be.
50. Don’t ever put yourself in a position where you would let anyone make you feel unwanted.
51. If you’re looking back on the past four years, no matter what age or walk of life you currently lead, and you haven’t changed, or learned anything new, you need to take a step back and re-evaluate what the hell it is that you’re doing.