I hope to update this once a day with one thing I learned everyday this month to look back on...

• 8. There are no amount of positive adjectives to describe the amount of happiness I get from spending time with my sister. It's true when they say that your sister is "your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities."
• 9. Taking the plunge with a few friends to start the first Filipino club at my college was surely the best (and one of the most stressful) decisions I have ever made. I could not be more grateful from all the blessings that have stemmed from this decision.
• 10. Do not let other people dictate your happiness. They will subconsciously control your life, and it is only you who can take the reins on your outlook on life. So, simply smile and take on the world full throttle.
• 11. Things really do fall into place over time. When I got back from college after my freshman year, I was unemployed and took a chance applying for a daycare/preschool job because of my love for little kids. To my surprise, I was hired with very little experience (aside from seldom babysitting). Initially, I hated it and wanted to quit. But I fell in love with the children I worked with daily, I developed friendships with my boss and my coworkers despite our age differences, I made good money far beyond minimum wage, and found myself another place I felt "at home." Three years later, I still find myself going back to work every now and then, and it feels like I never left.
• 12. Never judging a book by its cover, means not basing your impression of someone based on how other people had perceived them. The "weird girl" in high school isn't so weird after all. Actually taking the time to talk to her and get to know her on a personal level made me realize that the most unexpected friendships can be the most rewarding.
• 13. You are never too old to take a nap. When you've been working hard and never get a chance to take a break, it's nice to curl into bed in the middle of the day and drift off to dreamland.
• 14. It does not matter how long you have been friends with someone. Time can change people--some for the better, some for the worse. Do not let it hold you back. Keep moving forward and never stop finding ways to better yourself, and prove the doubtful wrong.
• 15. Your parents can actually be cool sometimes. (The key word is, SOMETIMES.)
• 16. How pathetic is it that the human race is more entertained by the misfortunes of others, than watching their happy endings.
• 17. Promises are just words. People will break promises and, sometimes, it can hurt you more than any type of physical pain. It is better to not expect so highly of others, despite the lengths we would be willing to go to for them. Thus, it is better to just be surprised, rather than disappointed.
• 18. When you grow up and have a family of your own, do not have favoritism between your kids. Because the "favorite" is easy to pick out, and not being the favorite child hurts their heart beyond words can repair. You know this from first-hand experience.
• 19. Chicken Caesar salads and pre-swim workouts are the best on a hot summer day. Sometimes, that is all it takes to brighten your day a little bit.