As we make our way through life, we often take certain pieces of advice and opinions and we come to live by them and remember in times of need.

Below are some important and essential pieces of advice to keep in mind.

Love yourself first

The very fabulous Carrie Bradshaw once said, “Don’t forget to fall in love with yourself first.”

We often think that in order to be happy we have to be in a relationship.

In doing this though, we repress and deprive ourselves of the critical independence needed to discover who we are as a person and to accept ourselves.

You can be with the greatest person in the world, but if you still look in the mirror every morning and hate the person staring back at you, you will never be truly happy.

Often we end up destroying good relationships, and instead settle for ones that aren’t worth because according to Charlie from “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “we accept the love we think we deserve.”

We can never fully give ourselves to someone else or have healthy relationships if we first haven’t learned to love the person we are.

By doing this, we can achieve not only a better self-esteem, but have much more fulfilling relationships.

Be honest with yourself

The very wise Ted Mosby from “How I Met Your Mother” once said, “I think for the most part, if you’re really honest with yourself about what you want out of life, life gives it to you.”

It seems like such a simple concept, but one that is very hard to grasp because it takes a lot of soul searching.

One of the more difficult things in life is figuring out how all of the pieces of it fit together.

It’s up to each individual to figure out which pieces fit into their lives and which ones don’t. It takes a lot of time and self-reflection in order to figure it out.

But if we can really find out what we want, and do everything we can to make it happen, the majority of time, our honesty and hard work will pay off.

Contrary to popular belief, life isn’t against us; in fact, it’s given to us.

It’s up to us to decide if we want to take it and make the most out of it.

Take chances

Babe Ruth once said, “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”

We can often be prone to letting our fears rule us.

Instead of going for our dream job, we don’t apply because we are afraid of failing at it.

Instead of telling a crush that we are hopelessly in love with them, we stay quiet and never admit the truth because we are afraid of the rejection.

We can let so many great things just pass us by because we are just scared of the outcome. But if we always let fear rule our lives, the only thing we’re doing is hurting ourselves.

Take a chance or a risk, face your fears head on and be brave. The worst thing we can do is sit idly by and let amazing opportunities pass us by.

Fear is an inevitable part of life; you can’t escape it or avoid it forever.

According to Ted Mosby, “If you’re not scared then you’re not taking a chance. If you’re not taking a chance then what the hell are you doing anyway?”

The best movements in life are the ones where you throw caution to the wind and just live.

Taking chances is what makes life worthwhile.

When you take a leap of faith and walk into the unknown, you’re taking a chance and opening yourself up to a terrifying yet thrilling experience.

YOLO

You will never regret trying to achieve something that you want. You never know what could happen.

As silly and cliché as the phrase “YOLO” is, you really only live once.

We only get one shot at life, and we don’t know how long we have to take advantage of it.

After all, you could be diagnosed with cancer tomorrow or get hit by a car a week from now.

Life is unpredictable.

It’s up to you to choose if you want to sit by and dwell on the little things or get out and live.

Do anything and everything you want, because life is fleeting, and you never know when your last breath could be.

Take from this article as much or as little as you want, but never stop looking for your own philosophies for life. They can guide you and help you out when you need it the most.