Life Lessons

I have discovered over the past two weeks that I still have so many life lessons to learn {not that I am surprised}.

Here are some things that I have learned:

1.  You can't trust everyone.  I did know this before the events of the past week but I wasn't willing to believe it.  I have a tendency to be very open with people, I am not good at hiding things {so if you want to know something about me just ask} so I just tell you how it is.  This has gotten me into minor trouble in the past and being in law school has definitely effected my willingness to talk openly {you become very jaded and untrusting}.  Somethings are better left unsaid.  I am trying to develop restraint, slowly but surely.

2.  Hindsight is 20/20.  ALWAYS.

3.  Ask before you act.  This is what we tell our coaches, administrators, and student-athletes in NCAA Compliance but I never really thought about applying it to my life.  It is a bad idea to assume that your current situation is the same as your past experiences even if the two are in the same industry.  This might seem obvious, but drama can coming from something that has never been an issue before so you might never even think to ask.

4.  Rumors spread FASTER than wildfire in a drought.  Within one day several versions of the event, none of which might actually be true, will be public knowledge.

5.  Don't put it in writing unless you are willing to see it again in an unfriendly setting.  This has been my rule since my first year of law school.  Nearly every case we read has something about information that someone wrote down, emailed, left a voicemail, or other form of communication that cannot be totally rebutted.  If what you are writing is something that you are willing to see again, specifically in a situation where the writing is being used against you, go for it, write away.  Before I send an email I think to myself "would I be ok if someone other than the recipient saw this or if someone wanted to use it against me," if the answer is yes then I click send, if not I revise until I would be comfortable seeing it again.  The same rule applies to text messages which tend to be sent more on a whim and are more susceptible to being shown around.  The portability of cell phones has increased our chance to make a fool of ourselves.  You are never assured that the person you are sending the message to is going to be the first person or the only person to read what you wrote.  I am especially susceptible to this one because I have my phone with me 24/7 and if you want to reach me texting is the best way.  I can't always talk but I can always read.  Even as I write this I am listening to a lecture and my phone is less than an inch from my keyboard.

6.  Don't drink and text.  This one gets many people into trouble and of course spawned the hilarious website Texts From Last Night, but not only can you send something that is embarrassing, you can also send something that can be totally misinterpreted.  Misinterpretation can lead to rumors and as we learned in #4 rumors spread faster than you think they might...

I hope that someone can benefit from the lessons I have learned and I will continue learning in my Adventure in Adulthood!