what's your damage, Heather?

1. People can always surprise you. Both in the best way possible and the worst.

2. Aspire to trust yourself so deeply that no one’s manipulations can ever make you second-guess yourself.

3. Live with integrity. Make choices that are true to your ideals and you will live with no guilt or regret.

4. Choose friends and lovers who will be honest with you no matter how painful the truth. A blunt truth is always better than a pleasant lie.

5. You cannot bear a great burden alone. Choose who you share things with carefully, but open up to at least one person.

6. If it’s important to you, do all you can to fight for it. That way, whether it succeeds or fails, you will not have to live with ‘what ifs’.

7. Acting out of anger is never worth it. Speak only when you have calmed down enough that you can come from a place of fairness and compassion.

8. If you are asking for the same treatment that you offer, you are not asking for too much.

9. The right people will be able to make you laugh even in the face of utter devastation.

10. There is magic in the world. It lies in sublime moments – moments that defy all odds and surpass even imagination.

11. Be kind, be generous, even be selfless at times – but ultimately you owe it to yourself and your happiness to put your own needs first.

12. Do not hope to change people. Your only power is in whether or not you choose to associate with them.

13. Nothing is permanent. You will learn this again and again and again.

14. Fight fair. Never go for the low blows.

15. You will be amazed by how quickly you can adapt to change.

16. You can survive that which you previously thought impossible.

17. “Lazy” self-care days are as important and necessary as driven, motivated, “productive” days.

18. Give yourself 24 hours of unadulterated grief when tragedy strikes. Let yourself wallow and fall completely apart. Then, start working on how to improve your situation.

19. Believe in the best of people until they give you reason to believe otherwise. This will hurt, repeatedly, but it’s better than allowing yourself to become cynical.

20. Be a little wary of people who always choose their words carefully.

21. How we act when we’re happy shows who we are. How we act when we’re in great pain does, equally.

22. Don’t take it personally when people try to take advantage of you. People will try. It’s up to you to set boundaries of what treatment you will and will not tolerate.

23. Don’t give any person or any circumstances the power to steal your joy.

24. Be yourself unapologetically. The people who are meant to be in your life will find you, and stay.

24 Things I Learned by 24, by Sara du Jour (via saradujour)