There's a sharp difference between your teens and you 20's. You carry 19 years of experience: heartbreak, lost friends, broken plans, loss, and more. Of course, there is happy stuff. However, as younger people we are more doe-eyed and innocent. We are more likely to want to please everyone. Our friends are very important, so we're more likely to put them over our other priorities. Sneaking out the night before you have to be up at 5 AM for a road trip with your family may be a regular occurrence. 

However, the older you get, the thicker your skin becomes. After some let downs, the blow becomes easier. You also learn from it. Thankfully, through these experiences, we gain bring 19 years of lessons that protect us like an armor from the BS of the "real world". We also keep learning every day. Our 20s are just as a transformative time as our teens. Here are some lessons that should be in our lesson suit of armor:

1. You don't have to like everyone.

2. You don't have to go to EVERY party.

3. You don't always have to be "on".

4. Take time for yourself.

5. Take time for your family.

6. Don't put yourself in box.

7. The only person you need to impress is yourself.

8. Don't waste your time in a relationship or friendship that isn't benefitting you.

9. There's no set rule on putting your friends or your relationship first. It depends on the situation, the friendship, and the relationship.

10. Life is all a balancing act.

11. Balance isn't about everything getting equal attention. It's about knowing when to make something a priority and when to leave something for another time.

12. Save at least some money

13. Don't be afraid to splurge or "treat yo self" every once in a while.

14. Eating is just like everything else, balance is key. Don't sweat eating unhealthy every once in a while, it feeds your soul.

15. Groupons, coupons, and BOGO are the holy trinity for a broke millenial and frugal 40 year old.

16. Don't be afraid to try something new.

17. Travel every chance you get. The older you get, the harder it will be to travel.

18. The only constant in life is change.

19. A friendship or relationship requires equal effort.

20. Honesty will get you farther than avoidance.

21. Being honest with yourself is the first step to being honest with others.

22. Learn to love yourself. Comparing yourself to others in a negative way can only bring about negativity. 

23. Surround yourself with positivity and positive people.

24. Think of the world as neutral. For example, social media is a neutral tool that people add good and bad connotations to, just like words.

25. Have a creative or spiritual outlet to go back to at the end of a stressful day, whether it's meditation, music, poetry, blogging, or whatever else.

26. If you don't have many, have at least one person you can tell ANYTHING to.

27. Chances are you can create that artisan decoration at pottery barn by yourself for cheaper.

28. Variety is the spice of life.

29. Go out of your way for someone every once in a while.

30. Go out of the way for yourself every once in a while. 

This semester at school, my I'm focusing of personal style, fashion, and body image, with my three different research projects (I know, don't remind me). The topic of my first paper is, "How Personal Style Affects Personal Identity." The topic of my second paper is, "How Exercise Effects Body Image", and the third research project is about fashion in relation to PR & Marketing. So, I decided I'd write a post about personal style. 

Personal fashion sense is something that is very important to me. Without a doubt, I believe no matter how high or low fashion is on your list of priorities, fashion affects your self-perception. How? Don't ask me, I haven't quite conducted my research yet.

So, what is personal style? It's pretty self-explanatory. It's the style of clothes you gravitate towards and wear often. It's what clothes you feel the most "you" in. When I did a focus group in my class, the subjects agreed that they felt the most confident and comfortable simultaneously in their favorite outfits. When they are feeling the height of their comfort and confidence, they can then fully be "themselves." So, I guess you could say that personal style also encompasses personality and self-perception.

I'm not saying that everybody has to be in a box. I'm a firm believer in being in many boxes, but not spreading myself too thin. Why should we describe ourselves with such stereotypical words, when we could describe ourselves by our emotional and character traits? Instead of describing our personality as punky or sporty, how about we say that we are a kind, level-headed person that loves to play basketball? Sometimes I find myself dressing pop-punk with band shirts, flannels, and beanies. Sometimes, I find myself dressing preppy in button-downs and arm candy galore. Sometimes, I find myself dressing boho with paisley, flowy cardigans, and round sunglasses. However, I know my personality traits: determined, loyal, and level-headed. Instead of using boho as my personal style description, I'd use one personality trait, and a general word to describe the clothes I own.

So, I've come up with a very simple formula for finding our personal style. Our personality is the root of our style. The theme of the clothes we wear are the adjective. Below are two columns: personality traits and clothing traits. Pick one word from each column that describes your style. There's your personal style!

For example, my two words would be "driven trendy." I am driven to succeed in my life and my career, and I'm always looking for the newest trends in pretty much anything, but the pieces I buy are usually on-trend. So, my clothing style would be described as trendy. Also, the field I'm entering is all about being trendy, so it all ties in.

What are your two words? Comment below, or tweet me!