“Myth: Adults know what they’re doing. They do not. Adults don’t know everything; we’re just better at winging it and hiding it.”

As a Senior Staff Writer at BuzzFeed, I cover real-life stories that explore relationships, lifestyle (including travel and beauty), and the internet's most fascinating trends.

"And if I attempt to express that to anyone (other adults), I keep being told about the benefit of family legacy, the value of a home, and the renting potential. I definitely don't want to be a landlord, and we need to find other ways to encourage long-term monetary value other than buying a house."

"Or your job can give you incredible benefits, for you to pursue your passions in your personal life. Or you are still finding your passions. But the main thing is that not everything has to and/or will be perfect."

"Don't get me wrong, marriage is hard sometimes, but I just wish I had known sooner that the payoff for all of the various frustrations would be so AH-MAZING."

"As for health, ear problems, toe problems, and reduced vision has all hit in the last five years. You don’t think it’ll happen to you until it does."

"Once you learn to let go of the life you should or should not be leading and embrace what stage you’re in right now, you’ll be much happier."

"There is no timeline to live by. You don't need to graduate college by a certain year. You don't need to be married, own a home or make a huge salary by a certain age. As long as you are happy and content with where your life is, that's all the matters. And if you aren't, do whats going to make you happy rather than try to fit into what society tells you is right. The only right thing to do in life is what's best for you."

"You do not really need social media to keep in touch with your most important people. The best thing you may ever do for your mental health may be deleting those accounts."

"Also, just because someone is in charge of a company/project/department doesn't mean they're the smartest and most competent person in the room. They're just the best paid."

"Even though the work might be the same, you have to either find what makes you passionate about it or decide to find your passions elsewhere. It's very easy to just get to a place where you feel like each day is the same. But with a little effort, adulthood can be really liberating because you can really control both what you do and how you feel about it (and this applies to everyone: kids, no kids, married, single, lots of money, very little money, etc.)."

"Also, the idea that we 'grew up' just because we're adults. I feel like the same 16-year-old in my head; it's just my body looks grown up. Aging and growing up are different things."

"Sometimes the person who will give the best advice and understand how you feel may really surprise you. And don’t assume the person who disagrees with you disrespects you — that's a conclusion too many people jump to when they are young. As you get older, especially as you view situations in hindsight, you sometimes see the person with unpopular advice or opinions was really in your corner all along."

"Also, it’s OK to eat cake for breakfast sometimes."

"Sometimes, your spouse and kids will be the support and drive you need to actually reach those other goals!"

"All you can do is the best you can with what you’ve got each day (which will always look different) and surround yourself with kind people who are also doing their best."

"Being more secure and confident about who and where I am as a person is huge. Being able to say, 'No thanks, not interested' to jobs, events, people, or experiences due to both identity and financial security is a total game changer. I think if I had known that the trial, error, and sheer effort of discovering who you are would be so tough, I wouldn't have felt like such a hopeless failure for so long. Looking back I think, 'Damn. That hurt, but you did great.' Oh, and having the financial or social privilege to say 'no' is something we don't talk about enough."

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.