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Rachel. I'm only just learning that life will surprise you beyond belief, hurt you beyond repair and rip you into little shreds. You have to be strong. You have to bounce back. It'll be difficult. Some days you'll just want to sit and play sad songs and cry. That's fine. But other days you have to fight. Stand up for what you believe in and go down screaming. Be polite to others - it gets you everywhere. Some things you can't change - learn to live with them. What happiness is there in only caring about yourself? One day you'll die and material things won't be able to accompany you, wherever you're going. Be prepared to adapt and acknowledge other viewpoints and admit you're wrong. There's nothing worse than someone who boasts. Be quietly modest and people will appreciate that. Have long phone calls where you say everything you feel. Keep calm if something goes wrong. After all, tomorrow is a new day, with new problems - and everything looks better the next day.