One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my 20s—something I’m definitely bringing with me into my 30s—is self-awareness. Self-awareness means understanding your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors—and recognizing how they affect both you and the people around you. It’s not just about knowing who you are, but also how you show up in the world. Over the years, I’ve realized that knowing yourself makes life a lot easier. And no, it’s not selfish—it’s actually the opposite. I truly believe that everything that happens around us begins with what’s going on inside of us. When you focus on what you can control—your mindset, your habits, your reactions—it becomes easier to recover from setbacks. It becomes easier to let go of things that hurt you. It becomes easier to stand back up and keep going. I’m not saying the struggles disappear. Life will always throw challenges your way. But when you’re more in tune with yourself, you move through those challenges with more clarity and confidence. Of course, there will always be parts of ourselves we don’t fully understand—because we’re always evolving. That’s just part of being human. But the more you get to know yourself, the more you grow. The more mature your decisions become. The more intentional your life feels. So… how do you actually become more self-aware? For me, it started with journaling. I wrote down everything. What I liked. What I disliked. What made me angry. What happiness looked like for me. What gave me peace—or made me feel overwhelmed. How I reacted to things, and whether those reactions helped or hurt. And most importantly—how I could grow from those moments. It became a process of continuous reflection. Slowly, I started noticing patterns I should get rid of and choose to learn from them. So if you're in your 20s, 30s, or even 40s—it’s never too late to get curious about yourself. Write things down. Ask questions. Pay attention. Because the better you know yourself, the better your life becomes.