I don’t live a perfect life by any means, but I’ve had my share of life lessons to point me in the right direction. Mistakes are a part of being human, no one is perfect. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Yep, we have all been there, sometimes you have to go through the hardships and struggles of life to get to the good parts. We can’t skip the bad parts and just have all happy moments, otherwise we don’t have life lessons.

Here are 41 life lessons you have to learn the hard way. While some of these are pretty serious, the rest aren’t so much. But life shouldn’t always be so serious all the time, live a little.

1. You can’t please everyone, no matter how hard you try.
2. Not all love stories have a happy ending.
3. Picking the wrong partner, yep. It’s not always your first, or second or fifth choice!
4. Don’t compare yourself to others, we’re all battling demons you can’t see.
5. You can’t wait around for something to become good, it either is, or isn’t.
6. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
7. Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.
8. A good bra fitting makes all the difference in the world.
9. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are too old to do. #YOLO
10. Don’t lie about your age.
11. Confidence is attractive. Arrogance is annoying.
12. Don’t waste your time on people who bring negativity into your life.
13. If you’re unhappy in a relationship, leave that person – you deserve all the happiness in the world.
14. You have to find your own happiness within YOURSELF, not in other people.
15. Don’t fall asleep on the beach without putting on sunscreen.
16. If you’re a pale skin person, before you leave the house, put on sunblock.
17. Don’t go broke trying to impress your other people (who you think are your friends).
18. Never ever ever ever ever date co-workers, just don’t.
19. Getting completely naked to get into a tanning bed is a big mistake for a first time go-er.
20. Don’t let your depression take over, have a simple list of things to do daily to stay active.
21. Build up your credit before you get into your 30s and get denied trying to buy a mortgage.
22. Don’t wait for the right time or it will never happen.
23. Lift with your legs, not with your back.
24. If you decide to run a 5k with your friend, PRACTICE before doing it.
25. Drink lots of water, sounds silly, but you need to stay hydrated!
26. Don’t say anything in front of a child, you don’t want them to repeat.
27. ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT BEFORE SIGNING ANYTHING!
28. Trust in God, I know it sounds silly, but you will be thankful when you do.
29. Not all of you friends are REAL FRIENDS. (a lesson I still struggle with and I hate it!)
30. Always listen and try to put yourself in other people’s shoes.
31. Don’t put off going to college, because you will just never go and regret it when you’re older.
32. Don’t blow half of your paycheck on useless crap you don’t need, take a little bit and throw it into savings.
33. Everything happens for a reason, we might not know the reason, but there’s a reason.
34. Your thoughts are powerful, make them positive.
35. Don’t waste your time worrying about your past or future, live in the moment.
36. Don’t always stress the small stuff, it will all work out in the end.
37. Don’t jump in the deep end unless you know how to swim.
38. When wearing light colored pants or shorts, make sure your flower print underwear isn’t noticeable.
39. Make sure to check all pockets of clothes before putting them into the washer or dryer.
40. The best pants are no pants.
41. Don’t allow the voice of your fears to be louder than the other voices in your head.

What life lessons did you learn the hard way?