Making mistakes is all about getting that much-needed experience. Nobody became an adult or learned how to navigate life without trying something out and seeing if it worked first. Sure, you can take lots of advice and follow the beaten path. But, if you're looking to live your best life, you'll probably face a lot of crossroads and just need to figure it out for yourself.

It's honestly amazing what this life can teach you when you really try your best to live it. You discover things about yourself, and how people work around the world. You find cultures that are covered in art and beauty, and try new foods or friendships that you don't like just the same. Learning is just part of living, and experience will always teach you more than a textbook. So, study up in school, but then also make some mistakes in your own time, too.

Think about all of the memories you've made with your best friends. Odds are, at least one of those moments were when you were adventuring as kids and trying everything. Sure, you had a lot less to worry about back then, but when you let yourself make mistakes, you're getting into that same mindset.

As a kid, we didn't care if we ended up being embarrassed or second-guessed anything when we're faced with a challenge. We took it as an opportunity, and there's nothing wrong with putting things back into that perspective when we're truly living. Whether it be going after your dream job or taking that road trip with your crew, you're bound to be left with a lot of memories from your mistakes and your amazing successes. It's all an adventure, after all.

If you stay within your current life, you'll never find anything new. For me, I get my best inspiration from changing up my surroundings and trying new things. My perspective instantly is shifted every time, and I find myself getting involved in interests that I've only ever dreamed of.

Life is a lot of getting outside of your comfort zone like this, and making the most of every moment. When you make mistakes, you open a lot of doors and close a lot of other ones. Life forces you to look in a new direction.

I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and that pursuing your passions should never take a back seat in your mind. Even if you fail, the connections you made and worlds that were opened up to you are bound to lead to so much more for you in this life.

When you start living for the present instead of the future, you'll find a lot of adventure right around you. Existing is a lot of planning, and don't me wrong, there's beauty in creating budgets and not always just jet-setting off on a plane, too. But, being a bit spontaneous and going with your gut are one in the same sometimes — and if you make a mistake along the way, I hope you look at it as an adventure.

It's so easy to get embarrassed by our mistakes or let fear keep us from pursuing our potential in the first place. The second we decide that it's going to be a great story to tell someday is when we realize that we're living and creating something for ourselves instead. I'd rather have a thousand stories to tell than be bored in a beautiful place.

Picking yourself back up is part of the process. And whenever you make a mistake, you're only getting stronger. You've heard about rock bottom and the real world enough to know that you aren't really owed anything, and that failure is most definitely an option. But, those are also the moments when we learn the most about ourselves and where we want to be. We have to put in the extra effort and keep trying our best, and because of it we grow a whole lot.

Truth is, life will throw you curveballs even when you're hanging out in your comfort zone — and you can handle every single one with grace. It takes a lot to put yourself out there, and it's never easy to take the leap into the unexpected. But, every time you fall you have the chance to fly. How cool is that?

When did we start taking life so seriously? One day, we may have decided that sitting by the water cooler and playing it safe was the way to go. We settled for always being busy and working too hard to ever find time to play hard, too. We surrounded ourselves with people who are constantly wishing for something better, and complaining about the world as they know it. Thank goodness for sarcastic people in this scenario, because they constantly keep us grounded.

Living life means fearlessly going after what you want and letting your feelings guide your feet. If you're passionate about something, don't keep taking the road that's oh-so-traveled. Laugh a little when you trip on the branches and such that you find along the way. Truth is, when we make mistakes, we're not so scared to face the "real world" anymore because we know we've already been able to handle the absolute best and worst.

Whether it's about yourself, life itself, or the people around you — making mistakes has a way of growing you into a more passionate person. Suddenly, you have a lot of heart and hope in everything you do, and realize that the greatest impact you can have is in how you make another person feel. You stop overthinking every situation, and go with your gut. All of that indecisiveness is sort of gone. Shocking — I know.

You've probably heard it enough from me by now that you should follow your dreams and worry about what's next when it comes. Being passionate isn't about planning or letting yourself wonder. It's living in the present and trying your best, even if you think you might fall a bit short.

You'll make a thousand mistakes, especially as a 20-something. But, the only mistake that matters is the one where you don't try and live at all. You're a part of this world for more reasons than just paying the bills and watching the days go by. So, don't just simply exist; realize every reason why should you just start living and be making all the mistakes.