I have learned:
– That you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I have learned:
– That no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back.

I have learned:
– That no matter how smart, beautiful or charming you are, never drink your own kool-aid, ego is the enemy within.

I have learned:
– That it is better to close certain doors in your life. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they lead you nowhere.

I have learned:
– That it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I have learned:
– That if you want it, work hard for it. Things that you get for free are not as valuable as things you work hard for. The most attractive person is the hard working person.

I have learned:
– That always give it your best shot. If it does not work, at least you will have no regrets that you did not do justice to it.

I have learned:
– That humility is not a weakness. There is something special about subtle beauty.

I have learned:
– That never take people for granted. At some point people get tired of your apology, and quietly move on, without you.

I have learned:
– That no matter how good a friend is, they are going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I have learned:
– That it is not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I have learned:
– That you should never ruin an apology with an excuse.

I have learned:
– That it is better to have few meaningful friendships than be popular and have average friendships.

I have learned:
– That you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you should better know something.

I have learned:
– That external validation and attention seeking may land you with wrong people giving you attention for wrong reasons.

I have learned:
– That it is better to be quiet and amazing, than be bling and mediocre.

I have learned:
– That you should not compare yourself to the best others can do.

I have learned:
– That a quiet life does not mean a boring a life. Stability keeps you focused on things that matters. You don’t have to attend every party, or event you are invited to.

I have learned:
– That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I have learned:
– That it is taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I have learned:
– That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I have learned:
– That you can keep going long after you can’t.

I have learned:
– That you don’t have to prove a point to anyone. Focus on doing your best for yourself.

I have learned:
– That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I have learned:
– That changed behaviour is the best apology. What you do says far more than what you say.

I have learned:
– That you are not a brand, you are a human being, a father, a friend, you have flaws and that is perfectly okay.

I have learned:
– That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I have learned:
– That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I have learned:
– That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I have learned:
– That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I have learned:
– That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I have learned:
– That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you are down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I have learned:
– That sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that does not give me the right to be cruel.

I have learned:
– That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I have learned:
– That just because someone does not love you the way you want them to does not mean they do not love you with all they have.

I have learned:
– The more you learn, the quieter you become.

I have learned:
– That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you have had and what you have learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you have celebrated.

I have learned:
– That you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I have learned:
– That your family won’t always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you are not related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families are not always biological.

I have learned:
– That it is not always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.

I have learned:
– That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world does not stop for your grief.

I have learned:
– That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I have learned:
– That a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.

I have learned:
– That it is not what people say that is important, it is what they do. Conduct trumps words.

I have learned:
– That just because two people argue, it does not mean they do not love each other. And just because they do not argue, it does not mean they do.

I have learned:
– That we do not have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I have learned:
– That you should not be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I have learned:
– That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I have learned:
– That no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I have learned:
– That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I have learned:
– That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I have learned:
– That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I have learned:
– No matter what happens never forget your why. When you forget your why you lose your way. Start with why.

I have learned:
– That it is hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings, and standing up for what you believe.

I have learned:
– That people will forget what you said, and people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

I have learned:
– That writing is thinking.

I have learned:
– To never stop learning, to never stop reading, to never stop dreaming, to never stop working hard on things that matter.

I have learned:
– That God is for you. He is on your side.

Here is to another year of learning.