I got to thinking about reliability. It’s a shame, it seems like reliability is not something parents teach their kids anymore. And I wonder why? When I find someone who’s reliable, I cling to them. I love this quality. I love that they’ll be there for me, for us, no matter what. So if you’re one of those people isn’t reliable—learn something from those who are. It’s an invaluable quality that can change your relationships, career, and state of mind. All for the better.

I got to thinking about the twenty-something panic. Our twenties are supposed to be this great time when we can still eat what we want without having to run a marathon the next day, when we can change career paths without a skeptical onlooker saying something pessimistic, and when we’re figuring out our love lives.

But there’s so much more to it. This is truly a time of panic. We feel like we have to figure everything out fast. If we aren’t engaged by 27, like the rest of our friends, we feel inadequate. And I’ll be honest: I’m starting to panic. I’m ready to turn 30, even though that’s several years away! However, what we have to realize is that our twenties can be about getting our lives together. We don’t have to know everything yet. I’m sure I’ll panic throughout my twenties, but knowing that I don’t need to have everything figured out right away brings a sense of peace.

I got to thinking about frozen moments in time. These are the moments that have defined us. These are the moments we’ll always wish we could travel back to. These are the moments we’ll always remember. Frozen moments in time are the memories that will last a lifetime. These memories might be small; they might be life-changing. Nevertheless, these are the moments that have made us who we are today. And for that, we must remember them. But at the same time, we have to realize that we can never go back. We must go forward and cherish the moments fondly.

I got to thinking about odds. Winning the lottery is a slim odd. Becoming a billionaire is a slim odd. Giving birth to quadruplets is a slim odd. So are creative paths just like these odds? Can we ever attain our lofty dreams of becoming actors, writers, and singers? As we see all around us, there are some people who beat these odds. There are those who dream these so-called lofty things and make it there, quickly, or very slowly. We shouldn’t concern ourselves with odds. You should seek the dreams that have encapsulated your mind. Always. And without apologizes. You have a chance of getting what you want. You just have to be brave enough to fight for those dreams.

I got to thinking about cheating. There are those who cheat on tests just to ensure the requisite grade. There are those who cheat to get ahead in the workplace. There are those who cheat the economic system to make more money than owed. And there are those who cheat on their significant others. All of this is cheating, albeit cheating in vastly different ways. But at the core of cheating: is there guilt? Is there hopefulness? And are all cheaters the same? Is there something inside them that’s just slightly off center, or are they just like the rest of us, just trying to get more out of this life?

I got to thinking about Plan A. We all have two plans in life. Most of us want something more than just a desk job we aren’t passionate about. Some of us follow that path. We take the easy way, following our Plan B, thinking that Plan A is too ambitious and completely unattainable. But what I’ve learned recently: we have to go after our dreams. Our dreams are attainable. And that can only happen if we put all of our effort into Plan A. Sometimes we have to delete our Plan B to achieve Plan A. There can only be one option in order to succeed. And that’s scary, but it’s always much more rewarding.

I got to thinking about relationship obstacles. Do you run away from problems? Do you wish there weren’t problems to begin with? You’re bound to come across ups and downs in any relationship. Nothing is perfect, but not everything is flawed. You must work through your problems with poise, knowing that these obstacles will only serve to make your relationship stronger. Peaks and valleys keep relationships fresh. You have to see the dark times in order to appreciate the good times.

I got to thinking about having all the answers. It’s a pain not having all the answers. It’s stressful not knowing what the next chapter of your life will be. It’s dreadful having to worry about the outcome of situations we cannot change, no matter how hard we try. When will we get the answers we want? Will we always get the answers we want? And when we don’t, how do we deal with that?

I got to thinking about losing friendships. There are friendships that last decades. There are friendships that last through college. There are friendships that last mere minutes. But they’re friendships, all the same. I’ve learned that we can’t hold everyone to the same standard. We won’t have all of our friendships last. We can’t save everything. But we also must understand how important it is to savor those friendships while they’re happening. We may not meet anyone like them ever again. Each friend can change our lives’. And that, of course, is the beautiful mystery of the beginning and end to every friendship…

I got to thinking about this quote. “Grief can destroy you — or focus you. You can decide a relationship was all for nothing if it had to end in death, and you alone. Or you can realize that every moment of it had more meaning than you dared to recognize at the time, so much meaning it scared you, so you just lived, just took for granted the love and laughter of each day, and didn’t allow yourself to consider the sacredness of it. But when it’s over and you’re alone, you begin to see that it wasn’t just a movie and a dinner together, not just watching sunsets together, not just scrubbing a floor or washing dishes together. It was everything; it was the why of life, every event and precious moment of it. The answer to the mystery of existence is the love you shared sometimes so imperfectly, and when the loss wakes you to the deeper beauty of it, to the sanctity of it, you can’t get off your knees for a long time, you’re driven to your knees not by the weight of the loss but by gratitude for what preceded the loss. And the ache is always there, but one day not the emptiness, because to nurture the emptiness, to take solace in it, is to disrespect the gift of life.” – Dean Koontz, Odd Hours