Life, as we know it?

1. You aren't nearly as special as you think.
You may walk around like the heroine of your very own book, but you're no better than any of the minor characters. You know - those dull, ordinary, people you're forced to be surrounded by. Take a good look at them: that's you.
2. Humiliation is the fastest way of growing up.
You're not as wonderful as your mama told you, and the way to grow up is to realize that. Growing up, in other words, means making mistakes. Only it's not enough to make mistakes; you have to feel them. Those moments of excruciating shame when you really screw up - cherish them.
3. Your feelings are not necessarily right.
Feelings are always about something, and that 'something' is not itself a feeling. It's an idea, a perception of a situation. And because ideas can be wrong, the feelings that are based on them can also be wrong. SO, just relax a little bit.
4. Don't believe everything you think.
We do not come to things with open minds, we come with all the ideas or schemes we've already acquired, and we can't wait to project them onto everything we encounter. Instead of discovering the truth, we end up with a very elaborate theory that bears no relationship to what's actually going on in front of us.
5. Too much money makes you miserable.
Being able to get whatever you want makes you awfully unhappy when you can't get what you want. And if everything is easy, then nothing really matters. The only people who can feel are those who have a sense of what it means to do without.
6. Listening to people's stories is the nicest thing you can do for them.
A person's story is the most personal thing about them, and paying attention to it is just the most important thing you can do. Our stories are what make us human, and listening to someone else's stories - entering into their feelings validating their experiences - is the highest way of acknowledging their humanity.
7. Friends tell friends when they're screwing up.
The true friend wants you to be happy, but being happy and feeling good about yourself are not the same thing. Being happy means becoming a better person, and becoming a better person means having your mistakes pointed out to you in a way you can't ignore.
8. Love is never at first sight.
Lust at first sight, a whole train of fantasies and projections at first sight - sure.
But to love someone, you have to get to know their character, not just their body, and that takes time. True love sneaks up on you. You never see it coming until it's already there.
9. Arguing is the best thing about being married.
If your partner is already just like you, then neither one of you has anywhere to go. A friction-free relationship would be a desert. Conflict is good; disagreements are good, even fights are good. Committing yourself to someone doesn't have to limit your growth - it can be the door to perpetual or continuous growth.