There are so many life lessons I’ve learned in my fifty years of living.

From motherhood and adoption to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and Machu Pichu to being an entrepreneur and a speaker—the knowledge and experience I’ve gained are priceless.

While some of the lessons I’ve learned have been just for me, I feel that others are important enough that they need to be shared.

We’re all on a journey. And as we share our own stories and experience, others can benefit from them.

So here are just ten of the life lessons I’ve discovered on my own journey.

Everyone’s journey is different.

This is an important lesson for each of us.

Comparing your journey to someone else’s isn’t fair to you or anyone else.

You are the only you there is. And because of this, your journey will be especially suited for you and no one else.

You have unique skills and talents that will allow you to accomplish the work you are meant to accomplish. And no one will be able to do it quite like you.

There is so much good you can do when you stop the comparison.

Your journey is yours.

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to love your journey and be all in.

It’s not a race to the finish line.

Sometimes we think that we have to rush through life so we can get to the finish line.

Too often, we rush into things without even knowing if it’s the right thing to do. I see this with kids trying to decide on a major in college.

We have a picture of what we think is expected of us from society. But, in reality, there is no standard we need to meet by the time we’re a certain age.

There is so much to experience and discover. It’s important we take time to reflect and to learn from the experiences life gives us.

If we’re too busy running, we’re going to miss the best parts of the journey.

Enjoy life as you’re experiencing it. Because you can’t go back again.

This leads me to the next lesson.

It’s never about the destination.

We’re always looking ahead to what’s next in life while failing to live in the now.

The more we can be present in our journey, the more we are going to thrive in it.

While having a goal is good, it shouldn’t consume you.

Take time to smell the roses and find joy in the journey.

Ponder the life lessons you’re given and show gratitude for the important moments.

Your journey is never about the destination.

It’s about the lessons you learn and the people you meet along the way.

It’s no fun traveling alone.

There have been so many people who have walked with me during various times of my journey.

Each person has been an important connection in my life.

It’s through my connections that I have been able to have the incredible experiences that I’ve had.

Take time to connect with others. Find your people, and also find people who are different than you.

There are billions of people on this earth, and you can learn something from every single one of them.

We need each other. I promise that your journey will be better with a friend.

Each journey is taken step by step.

While some try to rush through life, others try to skip things altogether. This is especially true in life’s more challenging moments.

We try to wish away our pain or stuff it down, so we don’t have to deal with it.

But it’s important for us to recognize that every experience is moving us further ahead on our journey.

Step by step, and day by day, we have the ability to learn, develop talents, strengthen friendships, and gain experience.

Every step of the journey is essential, and there are many life lessons that can only be learned through hardship.

When we try to skip these steps, we miss important aspects of our overall journey.

Every journey will have its ups and downs.

It’s inevitable that your journey will have good times and bad. That’s just how life is.

The key is to recognize that they are both important aspects of the journey.

The happy moments give you something to remember and something to look forward to.

The more challenging moments give you perspective, strengthen your mental capacity, and help you to develop resilience.

There are beautiful life lessons in both the ups and the downs of your journey.

Look for those lessons and be grateful for them all.

Obstacles are just obstacles.

Sometimes we look at the obstacles in our life and feel overwhelmed by them.

When this happens, we can easily get stuck if we don’t recognize that obstacles are simply obstacles.

Just because there’s an obstacle on your path doesn’t mean you can’t keep moving forward. You just have to find a way over, around, or through.

Don’t let life’s obstacles stop you from progressing.

Look at your challenges as problems that need to be solved rather than barriers blocking your way.

You are in charge of your journey. So find a way to keep moving forward despite the obstacles that may come.

You can do hard things.

I’ve learned that the most important part of my journey has been my own mindset.

When I tell myself that I can do hard things—I can.

If you were to tell yourself, “I can’t,” you probably couldn’t.

That’s how important our mindset is.

You are the greatest motivator you will ever have.

On the flip side, you can also become your greatest obstacle.

It all comes down to mindset and your ability to believe in yourself.

Believe that you can do hard things, and you will. It really is that simple.

Life is what you make of it.

Mindset may be key, but our mindset is driven by our choices. We can choose to believe in ourselves, or we can choose not to.

The success of your journey comes down to you and the choices you make along the way.

Every choice I’ve made has led me to become the person that I am today.

The same is true for each of us.

Life is what we make of it. Every choice we make puts us on a path that will determine our future destination.

It’s important to evaluate our choices and determine if they are going to take us where we want to go.

If not, maybe it’s time to reevaluate those choices and, if necessary, make different choices.

You can make a difference just by being you.

For me, this is one of the most important life lessons I have realized.

You don’t have to be a rock star or a millionaire to make a difference in the world.

Your journey can take you to some incredible places just because you’re you.

You’re amazing and extraordinary just the way you are.