10 Things I've Learned This Semester

Or, Reminiscing on Napkins

Last night was our last house meeting with all 19 of my other beloved roommates. We went to the pub, drank too much Lonestar, reminisced over old jokes, and got all wishy-washy that our time with one another will soon be over.  

When we all got home everyone went to their respective rooms to continue studying for exams. However, seeing as I somehow managed to finish all of my finals early, I found myself around 11 pm in the kitchen brewing coffee in the french press and talking to Sarah, another housemate. 

We began talking about list making and everything that has happened this semester which got us to thinking...why not make a list of the most important things we've learned this spring? And of course it was the kitchen so the only thing we had to write these prolific life-lessons on were paper towels. 

Kind of poetic, no?

1. There are good ways to be selfish, there are bad ways to be selfish. There are good ways to be selfless, there are bad ways to be selfless.

2. There is a voice in the back of each of our heads that knows the answers to all of our problems. Maybe that's what God is. Growing up is all about being able to silence all of the other things in life and learning how to follow that voice and trust it. 

3. Hanging out with yourself can be fun. 

4. You can't control another person's actions, the only thing you have power over is how you respond to them.

5. There are good things and good people in the world waiting to find you. The first step to getting good things is to leave yourself open to them. 

6. If you ever fall for two people, choose the second because the second one wouldn't exist if you had really loved the first. 

7. There is nothing wrong with asking for what you want.

8. You and your story are bigger than the problems of the present. 

9. Missing something is good. That's when you know whatever it is you've lost was worth having. 

10. Life is kind of like my trip to Ireland I took when I was a wee one. Every small town we went to, I fell in love with it and didn't want to leave. I thought each one was heaven on Earth and there was no possible way it could get any better. However, I would be forced to move to the next town, only to find it even better than the last. 

It's good to have good things in your life. But when the times comes, you have to give those good things up in faith that you will get something even better.