I don't know about recently, but one thing I've learnt in life is anticipate anything and everything, Life is full of curve balls and people are unpredictable no matter how well you know them. Always be prepared for the worst, plan for the future, enjoy the present, and cherish even the smallest memories of the past.
Life's also too short to focus on the bad times, doing so only brings you down and makes you miserable. Focus more on living in the moment and indulge in the more positive things in life.
Take responsibility for your actions and decisions. The sooner you take responsibility for your own faults, the sooner and easier it is to improve your life and enjoy it as well.
Don't be concerned about what others think of you, because other people's opinions about you don't really matter 99% of the time. Focusing on what others might think of you will only prevent you from enjoying and living life to the fullest.
There's nothing wrong with being who you are but never forget where you came from. Forgetting one's roots and past experiences often results in a repellent character and can lead you onto the road of self-destruction in some severe cases.
Lastly, life doesn't do anyone any favors, it doesn't care about your feelings, it doesn't care about your situation, and it will often kick you when you're down. That being said, you can be one of two types of people. You can either be the person that just whines about how tough life is, how you never realized your dreams and how down on your luck you are, or you can be the type of person that gets up and does something about their situation, seize life by the throat, look it straight in the eyes and say, "It's time things changed". Instead of dreaming what you want in life, dedicate yourself and drive your dreams to a reality.