I have lived and breathed this show for about 8 years now. It is my go to show for when I want to bond with a new friend, chill out and eat some snacks, or have a good background noise on when I’m working on homework. I quote the most random references from this show, while also keeping in the back of my mind a lot of the life lessons they throw around in each episode. All of the characters go through life challenges and between all their lives, you’ve seen it all. This show does not sugarcoat life, it gives it to you the way it is. It’s almost like no matter what you are going through in your life, there is usually something for every viewer to relate to that may help their current situation or relate to their lives at a given time. Let’s take a look at some of those important moments.
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“Nothing good happens after 2 a.m.”
There’s a reason closing time is 2 a.m. and places want you to go home. It’s because when that clock strikes 2, people do some dumb things. The best place to be is getting cuddled up in your PJs and heading to bed. I promise your F.O.M.O. will be okay, you aren’t missing out on anything, it really is for the better even if Barney says otherwise. Just make your night legendary by 1:59 instead!
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“Challenge accepted.”
Barney is one of the most driven people you will ever meet. His intentions may seem a little flawed at times, but he is always up for a challenge. Taking on challenges is good for us to experience self-growth. Doing things that scare you or things you think are too far out of reach are the only way for us to try new things to learn more about ourselves, others and the world in general. So the next time you are faced with a challenge, accept it.
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“There are a lot of little reasons why the big things in our lives happen.”
If you believe in enjoying the little things in life as much as me, then this quote should resonate pretty well with you. Life is too short to not appreciate how much good there is in the world. Even when your world comes crashing down and nothing seems to make sense, it is all part of a master plan. We cannot see the end result, but it is still there waiting for us until our time to see it. Those big things might be right around the corner, or we may have to wait a little. All we can do is go day by day soaking up the little things that will add up to a wonderful end result when we least expect it.
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“If you’re not scared, you’re not taking a chance, and if you’re not taking a chance, then what the h*ll are you doing?”
I have always lived by the philosophy of doing one thing that scares you everyday. It is important to push ourselves in this kind of way by stepping out of our comfort zone and seeing what happens. I think 9 times out of 10 we are surprised with the results we get from taking these chances. Ted’s life is full of these risks and even though his life seems like a mess at times, he lives with no regrets and ultimately makes the most of his life all at the same time. He also tells us, “Sometimes things have to fall apart to make room for better things.” It is kind of like cleaning your room. The room has to get messy while you do laundry, make your bed and sort through your clothes before you can organize it all and put things back into place.
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“The future is scary, but you can’t just run back to the past because it’s familiar.”
We are always tempted to do what makes sense to us, feels natural and is low risk. The reality of this is that it is a mistake. The past is behind us, there is a reason it is back there, and we need to just keep swimming and moving forward. We are slowing ourselves down by trying to relive the past when there is so much future ahead. We may not know where we are headed, but “That’s life, you know. We never end up where we thought we would be.” Keeps things interesting.
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“If you have chemistry you only need one other thing. Timing, but timing’s a b*tch.”
There are so many times that we meet people and it is the “right person, wrong time” conundrum. I know some people do not believe in this, but I do. If you are in this situation, then one of the best things you can do is just be patient. Why be in a hurry for the wrong thing when you can wait for the right one? Is this a mistake? Who knows, but “The biggest mistake would be not to make that mistake, because then you’ll go your whole life not knowing if something was a mistake or not.” More HIMYM advice right there. Might as well give it a try, just follow your gut and your heart.
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“You may think your only choices are to swallow your anger or throw it in someone’s face, but there’s a third option: you can just let it go, and only when you do that is it really gone and you can move forward.”
Do not hold grudges. Move on and live life. That is all.