Today I came to the realization that I am fast approaching the end of one of the best eras of my life. When I turned thirteen, nineteen seemed like a lifetime away; it felt like I had all the time in the world to make mistakes and have fun. When I look back on the last six years, I am not only reminded of how awkward I was in middle school or how difficult I thought high school “finals” were, but I instead think of all of the lessons I learned in that brief amount of time. Although there are definitely more, here are the 11 things I managed to learn while I was having fun figuring out who I was during middle school, high school, and my freshman year of college.
1. Spend a lot of time doing things that make you happy.
Days are better when you do stuff you like to do. Whether that is playing soccer with friends, going on a hike with your dog, or reading a book on a rainy day, everyone knows what activities they enjoy. In high school it was so easy to get caught up with the stress from schoolwork, making friends, sports, extracurricular activities, etc., that sometimes I skipped doing the things I wanted to do. But, I learned that with planning and prioritizing, it is possible to do both the activities you want to do and the tasks you need to do.
2. Laughter makes life better.
I have learned that a great sense of humor can make even the worst day much more bearable. Being able to laugh at yourself and others is a great quality to have because it makes hard times easier and good times even better. It also makes you feel really good. One of my favorite feelings in the world is when someone or something can make you laugh so hard that it hurts to laugh any longer.
3. It’s impossible to survive without your best friends.
The friendships you make teach you a lot about yourself and your life. I have friends that I would do anything for, and I know that they would do the same for me. They are the friends I go to talk to when I need someone to get lunch with, or need to vent about a bad day at work or school. Best friends stick with you through it all: high school graduation, moving to college, break-ups, all of it. I learned that with the greatest friends, distance and time spent apart doesn’t change anything even if many other aspects of your life do.
4. Hard work ALWAYS pays off.
Although I probably learned this later than I should have, arguably one of the most important lessons of your teenage years is that hard work pays off 100 percent of the time. In high school I had a lot of fun—I LOVED high school. But, I invested way more of my time into going to football games, hanging out with friends, playing sports, and procrastinating. I was never the kid who said “sorry I have homework” or “no” to an invitation to do something fun. In retrospect, I wish I had studied more and prioritized my schoolwork. I would have been so much prouder of my accomplishments if I had known I put my best effort forward.
5. Learn from your mistakes.
The beauty of making mistakes is that they present great lessons to be learned. In fact, I think I made the majority of my mistakes between the ages of 13 and 19. Whether it was something minor like shattering my iPhone screen for the first time or something more serious like sneaking out to drive with my best friend to lake Chelan in the middle of the night, I made plenty of mistakes growing up. Although many mistakes are fun, impulsive, and come from lack judgment, the important thing is that you realize what you did wrong and really make an effort to prevent making the same mistake twice.
6. You are a little fish in a huge pond.
The world is a giant place. However, during your teen years, the city you live in starts to feel smaller and smaller because it is the only place you know so well. By the time you reach high school, you have gone to school with people you have known for nearly your entire life. When you go to college, you realize how many people come from all different parts of the world. Both high school and college can cause you to be very critical of yourself in comparison to others. It is important to understand that there is always going to be someone smarter, someone prettier, and someone richer, but no one is just like you. Always be yourself!
7. Never take a homemade meal for granted.
If college could be described by three foods they would be top ramen, easy mac, and cereal. Because of this, I have come to the conclusion that in high school, the number one luxury that I took for granted was homemade food. If I had a dollar for every time I missed my mom’s chicken noodle soup or my dad’s waffles, I would have been able to pay for college by myself. If you think I’m kidding, I promise you I am not. This is a very valuable lesson to learn before you leave for college so that you can take advantage of it before you leave.
8. Your dog will always be there for you no matter what.
If you ever feel like people don’t appreciate you, or maybe you are having a bad day at work, or you got a D on one of your final exams, there is one pal that will never reject you: your dog. Your dog literally looks up to you and deems you impossible of being anything less than perfect. Sometimes the only thing that can cheer you up is hugging your dog or taking him/her on a walk. Dogs bring out the best in everyone, and I’ve learned that if anyone can bring out the best in me, it’s my dog.
9. Time alone is important.
This may not be true for everyone, but sometimes you just need time to be by yourself. For me, time alone is a necessity. It is really nice to have your room to yourself and to take a nap or read a book. I never realized this fully until my first year of college. With roommates, class, and all the activities you can participate in on campus, it is really hard to find time for just yourself. However, if you want to stay sane I highly recommend it.
10. Always try to see the glass half full.
Being optimistic is great because it allows you to see not only the best in people but also the best outcomes in situations. Optimism also makes you a lot more happy than you would be if you were pessimistic all the time. The funny thing is, it’s a lot easier to be negative all the time in the world we live in. SO many bad things happen every day; even the news is constantly focusing on the bad stuff. However, being positive makes everyone happier. I learned that attitude is everything and I benefit more from being positive than from complaining about the aspects of my life that I don’t like.
11. Stand up for yourself and what you believe in.
The most important lesson that you can learn from growing up is that you need to stand up for yourself when people put you down or tell you in any way, shape, or form that you aren’t good enough. Everyone has different beliefs, ideas, personalities, and characteristics that make themselves unique and it is not right for anyone to say otherwise. I have learned that if something is worth believing in or supporting, then it is worth standing up for. If you let people put you down, then you are letting them put a damper on your self-confidence and your sense of self. It is empowering to respect yourself enough to stand up for what is right.
