Life is filled with lessons. Most of us go through life learning them for ourselves. As a stubborn Aquarius, I have a tendency to want to experience something (myself) in order for it to sink in, fully. And, sometimes that involves me going through a challenging account or event for it to it to fully be understood.

Honestly, I’ve fallen many times and gotten up many times. Life has been rough, fun, messy, challenging and imperfect but I would never take any of it back because, to me, that is the whole point.

Here are 12 liberating things that I have learnt:

1. I am not alive to prove anything to anyone else, only to myself.

2. I am not meant to be liked by everyone.

3. Growth is a choice.

4. Commitment does not have to be long-term to everyone.

5. Sometimes silence is profound.

6. Sometimes negativity in people and things is not worth acknowledging.

7. I am the last person that I should give up on.

8. Impossibilities can sometimes become possible.

9. Not everyone is meant to be my friend.

10. When someone doesn’t like me, that is their choice. I don’t have to force them to like me or change their mind about me.

11. My life is in my hands.

12. I can have an influence on someone else but I have no control over anyone else other than myself.