make a list of 43 life lessons I've learned from experience

You should be going after what you want all the time, as much as possible. But sometimes letting go is a better choice than hanging on.

9) It will be okay if you let it.

You’re not happy because that’s how you choose to be. Your situation might not be ideal, but it’ll work out with time. Even more quickly if you keep an open mind.

8) Be PREPARED. Or better yet, don’t be, and learn to go with the flow.

Personally, I prefer the former of the two, but I wish I didn’t. I don’t adapt to change very well, and I often miss out on opportunities because I didn’t know what would happen and I would rather play it safe.

7) Be careful who you trust.
Don’t overshare unless you’re sure a person can be trusted, and be sure they know the the limits of what they can do with any information you give them.

6) Trust is hard to earn, and harder to earn back.

Actions have consequences, and if you betray someone’s trust, don’t expect everything to be like before. It takes time. Be careful what you do, and who you might hurt.

5) Grab life by the horns.

“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.”

If you don’t do something because you’re afraid, or whatever else, you’ll regret it. Do what you can, while you can or you’ll always wonder. Even if you do it and it’s not all you thought it would be at least you know, and it’s one more experience to add to the life bank.

4) Don’t take life too seriously.

Sometimes you will fall. Think about it. Was it that big of a deal? Just get up and try it again. The goal isn’t to be perfect at everything. If it doesn’t matter, let it go.

“The trouble with schools is they always try to teach the wrong lesson. Stop studying strife and learn to live the unexamined life.”

“You will fly and you will crawl. God knows even angels fall.”

3) You can’t go back to the way things were. But you can go forward.

You’ll never forget when someone truly hurt you, nor will they if you truly hurt them. Think about what you say and do before you do it. You can’t take anything back, because you can’t change the past. That doesn’t mean that you cannot make amends, only that you should use tact. Try to say what you mean, and mean precisely what you say.

2) Don’t let them get to you.

Anyone who is trying to bring you down is only trying to put themselves higher. The social food chain is complicated to say the least, but only unhappy people try to bring happy people down. The people who try to hurt you are the people who need someone the most. Be who you want to be, and don’t let them bother you.

1) Don’t believe everything you hear.

Question everything. They aren’t always right, and don’t accept opinions as facts. Listen to the opinions but don’t let them taint your own. I always listened to say descriptions of people, books, or movies, and it took a while for me to realize I didn’t have to agree.