The year of immense growth and learning. 22 things that have helped me cope with the struggles of adolescence, people, and the world. 

22. Things don't always turned out as planned.

We like to plan. Goals. We all have them. Smaller to bigger ones. I am not saying that one should not have them. Do plan but don't have this condition of your plans working out always. The world and people in it work way beyond than our mental abilities can apprehend. Remember, you cannot control every factor influencing your life. 

21. Things that go wrong cannot always be fixed.

I know no one of us intends for things to go sideways. We all want happiness and peace. Maybe this is why we waste majority of our times into fixing things that cannot be fixed simply because we cannot accept failure. But hey, the cracks never go. Just a universal fact we need to make peace with. 

20. Replaying past won't help.

Your coping strategy must eliminate your past or anyone who reminds you of your mistakes, shortcomings, sins, and all your failures. How do you expect to live if you won't come out of this shell? The people who love you will surely never push you back into the dark holes of your past. 

19. Recreating yourself is easier than criticizing. 

Give directions to your mental abilities. Stabilize and utilize that mental energy of yours into doing something creative and worthwhile. I mean what is the point of criticizing anyone anyway? 

18. The struggling years will seem beautiful in the future. 

That is what I have witnessed, felt, wished and experiences. Down the memory lane I see how struggle has made me cautious, empathetic and wiser. I now see people for how they love, care and feel. 

17. You are both, sage and storm.

You are a perfect blend of the good and the bad. Your choices will determine as to what will empower your self. 

16. Mental health must never be ignored.

People anticipate physical pain with the amount of blood you shed or the level you rank your pain-scale on. But when you tell them your emotional struggles I know they say "This too shall pass." Aren't you one of them? Help people to heal. Understand their muted cries. Pick at least one person and help them see colors again.

15. Love people when it is the hardest to love them.

Everyone has a breaking point. Everyone has their limits. Don't abandon them by labeling them as "changed." Love them. Please. 

14. Everything happens for a reason. 

I was once told that we learn from three things. First comes our senses, then our mind and last is the Divine Guidance. With the help of our 5 senses we see how things are, with our mind we know how things work. It is said that when neither help you to understand how things are working or happening then know that is beyond a human mind to comprehend. That is where this comes, everything happens for a reason and not every reason is made to be understood; they are meant to be believed in. 

13. Love is everything around you. 

From your smiling reflection to the person you just hugged. From nature to nurture, love is everything you see, hear, touch, smell, taste, and feel. 

12. Everyone is damaged.

Not everyone can express the battles of within. Where someone's pain maybe petty to you, you need to know that everyone is healing. Regardless of the level and rank, everyone is healing. If you can't help them then please don't make it any difficult for them.

11. Kindness can have a major impact. 

How can you be okay if you just emotionally destroyed someone? I don't care if it was unintentional or a deliberate inhuman manifestation. You did it. Stop right now and rectify it for ones. Be kind. Please, just be kind. 

10. Self care is essential. 

Even you should take a break. You need to step back and nourish and softness inside of you; the way you work on your outer beauty. And, it also means that you choose not to argue with people who are firmly committed themselves into misunderstanding you. 

9. Never stop learning. 

Even the wisest man has yet something to learn. 

8. Start feeling beautiful. 

You have a beautiful energy in yourself. We all have it; a superpower. Now I know being able to fly must seem super amazing, but ain't caring the same? Imagine giving a shoulder to lean on, and seeing that crying person's spirit being lifted. You may not be able to fly but you can make people fly. (Metaphorically)

7.  See people for who they are, not for who they must be. 

Nobody is perfect. And one of the major reasons for why we complain for people not being as-per-our-standards is because we start to wish them be extra loving, extra caring, extra selfless, extra pretty. It is ironic how we want people to accept us the way we are and complain on how they do not change.

6. You become what you surround yourself with.

Even psychology vouches for this one.

5. Respect.

From excuse me to thank you, knocking on doors to giving way and everything in between. Show respect. Your parents, teachers, siblings, spouses, family, children and even any random guy here deserves it. 

4. You aren't always right. 

Period. 

3. Cleanse yourself.

Let go of hate. Let go of envy. Let go of jealousy. Stop comparing. Stop judging. Stop complaining. Grudges cause pain. Don't you get tired?

2. Never compromise on your family and friends.

They are your keepers. Your backbones. They love you without any condition, any payback or price. Don't lose them. Tell them right now, you love them and you are grateful to have them in your life.  

1. You got to be tough if you are going to be stupid.

There is nothing that can be truer than this.

Statements like "past doesn't matter", "forget about what you were", "your present defines you" etc etc somewhat emphasises more on your past being your definition. There is a perception about you, and no matter where you stand you cannot change it. Reputation they call it. So regardless of your efforts of realizing your mistakes, moving on with them, trying to be a better person for yourself, there will always be criticism. Now the general opinion may not matter but when you hear it from a person who matters for a minute things will go blue. For a minute you will go through all the flashbacks. From doing things to regretting it and then striving to be a better person. For a minute you will experience all the hurt and regret that may have led you to hope. So much will happen in a minute that you will feel everything but nothing. And in that minute you may think that ones a sinner will always be a sinner. But is it fair? The aura of your past being the outer layer of whatever and however you are? Its like all your efforts go in vain. The next moment instead of moping around in grief, think. Think about why you had hope in the first place. Then and only then will you know, your past maybe your definition, your efforts may seem fruitless, your reputation maybe not worth it, you may have no friends but aren't you still here? Despite all the darkness are you not surviving? Crying and hoping? Falling and rising? Striving and surviving?

I want you to know that yes you cannot change the past. You cannot even make it all go away. You cannot expect people to forget about it because the hell they will. I know you can do anything in this world to start with a clean slate. But even then know that no matter what, you will always be bad. And that bad will lead you to the good. How do you know you were bad? That is the first step towards being good. Knowing your wrongs. You cannot right all your wrongs, can you? I know it matters what people say. I know it hurts when they don't understand. I know how it feels, walking through places and feeling people whispering, pointing and laughing. I know how it feels being THAT person. But again, can you change it? No. You cannot. What to do then? Embrace it. Cry about it. But don't repeat it. Continue being THAT person, but don't be THAT person.

You are here because you have to be here. And what is here? That is how you see yourself. Being here is not where people think you were. Being here is where you know you are. After all, duniya kab chup rehti hai? Kehne do jo kehti hai.*

*People will talk no matter what.

If there is anything that life has taught, it's that sometimes the darkest times can bring us to the brightest places. The most toxic people can teach us the most important lessons. Our most painful struggles can grant us the most necessary growth. And that the most heartbreaking losses of friendship and love can make room for the most wonderful people. I have learned that what seems like a curse in the moment can actually be a blessing, and that what seems like the end of the road is actually the discovery that we are meant to travel down a different path. I have learned that no matter how difficult things seem, there is always hope. And I have learned that no matter how powerless we feel or how horrible things seem, we can't give up. We have to keep going. Even when its scary, even when all of our strength seems gone, we have to keep picking ourselves, back up and moving forward because whatever we are battling in the moment, it will pass and we will make it through. We have made it this far. We can make it through whatever comes next.