It was my birthday last month, my seventeenth to be exact. I've picked up a little bit of knowledge along the way, as well as some wisdom. To celebrate this new year of my life, I wanted to write a little blog post that I've seen floating around the internet for a while now. I've found it quite interesting to see what other people have put down for the 17 things they've learned in 17 years and I wanted to give it a go myself...

1.  "When a door closes, you have two choices, give up or keep going." - Rihanna

2.  Negative people exist and you don't need them in your life. Surround yourself with positivity and what or whoever makes you happy.

3.  Love who you've been given the privilege too.

4.  Find the balance between work/play/rest.

5. Laughter is one of the best feelings ever.

6. Trust your gut.

7. People who are confident enough not to care, should be taken note of.

8. Every problem, has a solution. Other than death.

9. Make yourself you're No.1 priority. You have to do what's best for yourself. That's ok.

10. No one is going to stop you from doing what you love. It's not up to anyone else. It's your choice.

11. Be the person you wished you had when times were rough.

12. Wearing makeup and using an instagram filter doesn't make you beautiful. Your character does.

13. Surround yourself with creative, funny, smart, caring and good people. You deserve it.

14. You have to learn to accept yourself.

15. Don't let someone structure your life.

16. Change is too evolve. Without it, there's no life.

17. You can do anything you put your mind too. Stop stopping yourself from achieving it. Get some motivation and dedication and kick your own ass into gear.