I've 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.

That no matter how much I care,
Some people just don't care back.

That it takes years to build up trust,
And only seconds to destroy it.

That it's not what you have in your life
But who you have in your life that counts.

That you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes.
After that, you'd better know something.

That you shouldn't compare yourself
To the best others can do.
But to the best you can do.

That it's not what happens to people that's important.
It's what they do about it.

That you can do something in an instant
That will give you heartache for life.

That no matter how thin you slice it,
There are always two sides.

That it's taking me a long time to become
The person I want to be.

That it's a lot easier
To react than it is to think.

That you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

That we are responsible for what we do,
No matter how we feel.

That either you control your attitude
Or it controls you.

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.

That heroes are the people who do what has to be done
When it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

That learning to forgive takes practice.

That there are people who love you dearly,
But just don't know how to show it.

That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

That my best friend and I can do anything
Or nothing and have the best time.

That sometimes the people you expect
To kick you when you're down
Will be the ones to help you get back up.

That sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

That true friendship continues to grow,
Even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

That just because someone doesn't love you
The way you want them to
Doesn't mean they don't love you
With all they have...

That maturity has more to do with
What types of experiences you've had
And what you've learned from them
And less to do with how many
Birthdays you've celebrated.

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.

That your family won't always be there for you.
It may seem funny,
But people you aren't related to
Can take care of you and love you
And teach you to trust people again.
Families aren't biological.

That no matter how good a friend is,
They're going to hurt you every once in a while
And you must forgive them for that.

That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

That no matter how bad your heart is broken
The world doesn't stop for your grief.

That our background and circumstances
May have influenced who we are,
But we are responsible for who we become.

That sometimes when my friends fight,
I'm forced to choose sides even when I don't want to.

That just because two people argue,
It doesn't mean they don't love each other
And just because they don't argue,
It doesn't mean they do.

That sometimes you have to put the individual
Ahead of their actions.

That we don't have to change friends
If we understand that friends change.

That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.

That two people can look at the exact same thing
And see something totally different.

That no matter how you try to protect your children,
They will eventually get hurt
And you will hurt in the process.

That there are many ways of falling and staying in love.

That no matter the consequences,
Those who are honest with themselves
Get farther in life.

That no matter how many friends you have,
If you are their pillar you will feel lonely and lost
At the times you need them most.

That your life can be changed in a matter of hours
By people who don't even know you.

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.

That writing, as well as talking,
Can ease emotional pains.

That the paradigm we live in
Is not all that is offered to us.

That credentials on the wall do not
Make you a decent human being.

That the people you care most about in life
Are taken from you too soon.

That although the word "LOVE"
Can have many different meanings,
It loses value when overly used.

That it's hard to determine where to draw the line
Between being nice and not hurting people's feelings
And standing up for what you believe.