Hey Bubs,

As of July 26, 2016, I am 20 years old. I have long awaited this day because it honestly marks a new chapter in my life. I recall a physician in the ‘Emergency Department’ of University Hospital telling me that your 20’s is the best decade of your life. After that, he proceeded to tell me all the negative things about being a physician. Safe to say, after that conversation, I still ant to be a doctor, but I wondered how my twenties would be. Everyone talks about growth and how their twenties define who they are after the decade is over. Since I am on the first day of the 10-year journey, I can’t help but reminisce over year 0-19, which have gotten me here. Two days ago, I came up with the idea of a blog because I wanted space to write my thoughts and to be myself. I thought it was only fitting to start it on day 1 of my new journey. With this post, I wanted to share the things that have led to the Amy that everyone sees today. I am not saying these are concrete, but rather the little nuggets that I have gained along the way of getting to where I am today. I hope you enjoy.

1. Be yourself.

There are currently over 7 billion people on Earth. Each with a different hue, hair textures, background, etc. Safe to say, none of us are the same, and we should not try to be. Everyone is unique in their way and should embrace it. Growing up, I was the “Oreo” of my peers. The girl that spoke “white” and would always get questions over her posture. It was annoying. Come to realize as I got older, being different is positive. People always remember the little things and those are the aspects of our lives that we should embrace.

2. No one's path is ever straightforward.

Whether it’s starting college, a relationship, or moving out of our parent’s home, it’s never easy. There will be setbacks and obstructions to the path of achieving your goal, but honestly, those are the things that build character. Just know you have to keep going at it, and you will eventually get there.

3. Know your worth.

Huge. In any aspect of your life, you have to know who you are and what you are worth. People will try to put you down and tell you are not good enough, but it’s honestly up to you to define yourself.

4.  If things don't go to plan, don't stress, just reevaluate.

I can attest to this tip, because for every life hurdle, I have realized more and more of what my calling is. When I was in high school, I had my whole life mapped out. Graduate from college, go to medical school, and get married right after and start a family. I am going tell you right no, that is not about to happen. Finding a new passion meant changing the goal. This time, without calculating how old I would be when I got out. Honestly, it’s fine. Rarely anything goes as planned in life, so why stress? As long as you have your goals in line, go for it. 

5. God works in mysterious ways.

If you have ever done well on an exam that you were 150% sure you bombed, you can relate. Don’t forget to pray today.

6. No matter had bad of a rut you're in; things get will always get better.

At the end of my senior year, someone very near and dear to me gave me a book titled “Oh the Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss. I can tell you, that book has helped me so much as a person. I honestly encourage all of you to read it because it highlights the struggles a person can go, though, and with perseverance, anything can be achieved. With that, if you're ever having a difficult time, keep going, every day you are writing your narrative, so don't let a few bad sentences ruin your book.

7. Be your biggest cheerleader.

Not to sound cynical, but at the end of the day, it is only you. Saying that, you have to be willing to root for yourself in your pursuit. No one is going to stand by you 24/7 to motivate you consistently, so you have to be that for yourself.

8. Don't pay people any mind.

No matter what you do in life, someone will have an opinion of you. It’s honestly not your problem. With everyone being from a different background and upbringing, we’re all prone to view things from a different perception. At least that’s how I view it. We are all different. A lot of people may not accept your differences, but you don’t have to conform to it, instead embrace who you are as an individual and go about your life how you see right.

9. If you have to force it, it's most likely not going to work out.

    Enough said.

10. Always make time for shenanigans.

Based off of my past spring semester, I learned this the hard way. I’m not even sure what possessed me, but in the spring semester, I decided to go “ghost.” Going ghost mainly meant cutting off all social activity in the name of studying. It was miserable. Sure I did well in school, but watching all my friends have fun while I was drawing out chemical reactions on the weekends was not fun at all. I wanted to be one with my people, but instead I grew a divide with friends. College is a social experience that should be experienced both in and outside of the classroom, with only being in the classroom, I missed out on a lot of things, so the biggest thing was to learn how to balance everything. Of course, school comes first, but fun needs to be in the mix as well.

11. Don't be afraid to lose friends.

This tip is huge. I’m not saying to cut ties with every friend that you have gotten into an argument with, but just be honest with yourself. As selfish as it sounds, sometimes you have to ask yourself if a friend is helping you grow as a person. For me, entitlement is the absolute biggest turn-off. Entitlement is a quality that one of my closest friends was exhibiting at the start of the past school year. I voiced my concern on several occasions, but they didn’t get the message. I also did not want to be apart of it. I did what was best for me because as much as we don’t want to admit it, we become the people we surround ourselves with. I did not want that for myself, so I did what I had to do. The "break up" ended with a lot of mixed emotions and anxiousness on my part, but it was honestly something that I had to do.

12. Forgiveness is vital.

Growing up with a chronic illness, I have had a lot of run-ins with people concerning my health. Questions about how ill I was and even people accusing my faking my illness could have been the catalyst of my hate. As cliché as it sounds, I don’t have it in my heart to hate anyone. It’s honestly a waste of energy. You see, forgiveness is more for you than the other person. You’re honestly doing yourself a favor by releasing that negative energy and granting amnesty to the situation.

13. Save half and spend half.

Money management is huge. My parents have always told me never to spend all my money in one place, but rather save a percentage of every paycheck in case something happens. They were right. Whether it be my dad’s constant traveling or waiting a day for my funds to come in, there’s always been an emergency situation. Gratefully, I took my parent’s advice and saved some money on the side or else I don’t know what would have done in a lot of those situations. Money management is crucial because you have to know how to spend as well as save and find that perfect balance.

14. Go with your gut feeling.

    This piece of advice can go with any life event if it feels right, go for it.

15. Don't let other's influence your decisions.

While I do value the opinions of others, I don’t want anyone to cloud my judgment. No matter what you do, someone somewhere will have an opinion on what you do and how you do it. It’s honestly up to you for what to do with that information.

16. Positivity is essential.

This blog is a space for positivity, and I intend to keep it that way. With all the obstacles that life has thrown at me, remaining positive and prayer, has guided me through everything. Being positive gives room for growth, and it is that growth that has helped me become the person that I am today, and also what I aspire to be in the future.

17. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

This is something that I have been working on a lot ever since I came to college. Realize that is always someone ready to help you, you just have to ask. Also, don't be afraid to ask, people are more willing to help than you realize.

18. Make time for some exercise.

After late nights of Whataburger and getting turkey sausage bagels from Einstein’s, you come to realize that your eating habits aren’t the best, especially in college. If you are a part of the small minority that avoided the ‘Freshman 15’, I commend you, but that does not exempt you from diabetes and high blood pressure. I am not saying that you need to exercise to the capacity of a professional athlete, but rather setting aside time for exercise. Being active will improve your life tremendously.

19. Find what you are passionate about and go with it.

For me, this is the most important thing on this list. Even yesterday I was talking about my future goals and my passions to a close friend. No matter what you do, if you are not passionate about what you are doing, or what you want to do, it may not work out. Since I am typing out the descriptions the list starting from 20, I may or may not have mentioned the fact that I want to be a physician. Ever since I could remember, I have been stuck on one specialty, Hematology. To this day, I still am and will always advocate for those with Sickle Cell Disease, but It wasn’t until I shadowed the ‘Emergency Department’ of the University Hospital in Cleveland last year, that I realized where my passion lied. Six hours and 38 minutes of pure excitement. It was honestly invigorating, and it changed my whole perspective on how I should lead my life.

20. Make moves, not announcements.

Last, but not least, the most major of all major keys. I know we all get excited and are quick to share, but discretion is key. Making moves is a concept a lot of people are implementing into their daily lives. It’s honestly a great movement because people are getting motivated to do things and make big plans to achieve their goals,

but announcing it is not always needed. It's great to share, but sharing when you are in the pursuit of things is not necessary. In a 10 step plan, if you go out announcing step 5 and so on it lessens the impact. The element of surprise is essential, and that is why I made this blog. I did not want any opinions how I should run it or anyone to say I should run this blog a certain type of way. My goal is not to be the next contributor to Huffington Post, but rather share my ideas with the world. That is why I mad the move, and with this post, I am announcing it.

Peace & Good Vibes