Things I should have learned by now...

I'd like to think that I've retained a substantial amount of knowledge during my (almost) 21 years of living. However, there are a handful of life lessons that, for some reason, my brain just refuses to process. Thus, I present to you a list entitled:

The Top 5 Things I Should Have Learned By Now

(But That Haven't Quite Sunk In Yet)

1. No matter what the season, or how hot you are before going to sleep, you will always be freezing when you wake up. Therefore, going to bed in cheer shorts and a sports bra and leaving the bedroom window cracked when it's 40 degrees outside will never be a good idea.

2. God's plan for your life is infinitely better than anything you could ever come up with. So why do you continue to stray from Him at the times when you need His precious guidance and wisdom the most? Show a bit of humility by acknowledging that you don't have everything under control, but that's okay. Let go and let God.

3. Putting off schoolwork until the last minute will not make completing the task any easier. In fact, procrastination often results in great amounts of stress, anxiety, panic, and sleep loss, which makes writing that essay or completing that math assignment roughly 2.7 times more difficult than it needs to be.

4. Similarly, hitting the snooze button 13 times before getting out of bed (this is not an exaggeration- my roommate Kari is a saint for putting up with me in the mornings) will not make you any more alert or any happier about having to wake up. In the grand scheme of things, that extra 35 minutes of broken sleep has probably made you even more tired than you would have been otherwise. And now you're late for class. Good job.

5. When you find yourself on the receiving end of a genuine compliment, simply smile and say thank you. There is no need to make the situation awkward by rolling your eyes, blushing, or telling the giver of the compliment that he/she is either crazy or idiotic.

Can you guys think of any little life lessons that you recognize with your head but can't seem to uphold with your actions? I'd love to hear some. :)