1. You're going to make mistakes.
You're young and the world is a confusing place. People will hurt you, and you will hurt people unknowingly. Life is full of mistakes at such a young age, but you're finding yourself. Do not regret these things. Take them as lessons. You will learn and you will grow as a person if you realize that things happen in this life for a reason.
2. Heartbreak does happen.
It's just a known fact that people will break your heart. It will be smashed over and over again, for stupid, insignificant, sometimes meaningless things. One day you’ll stop letting people in, and it’ll be just as hurtful. You need to find balance. Build walls high, but not high enough that no one will be able to get in. You will find those people worth letting in.
3. The only time you'll use the Pythagorean Theorem is at the bar on trivia night.
Math in high school was all a myth unless you're a math major (or maybe engineering).
4. You’re much smarter than you think you are, but not as smart as everyone thinks you are.
You just need to do your best, and never dumb yourself down to try and fit in with anyone. Those aren't the friends that will stick by you when life gets hard.
5. Sooner than expected, you'll be in college.
There will come times when all you feel like doing on a Saturday night is staying in with a glass of wine and binge watching "Grey's Anatomy." So please please, enjoy the weekends you have with friends. Be stupid, make mistakes, learn and make memories. You're only a teenager for so long.
6. I promise you'll stop caring about your insecurities.
Right now, I know it's hard. You hate your body, your hair, your eyes. But before you know it, it doesn't matter. In college, people don't care like they did in high school. You'll learn to love your thick and frizzy hair and how to control it. You'll learn that light eyeliner is the way to go, and you'll learn that no one gives a shit about what you wear. P.S. Wearing leggings to class four out of five days is the way to go.
7. Everyone is going to be freaking the f*ck out about everything all the time.
You're not alone in this. Whether it's college, getting a job, what you're going to do with your life, everyone is freaking out with you. These things all work out over time, just work hard towards what you want and everything will fall into place.
8. Don’t waste your time on social media.
No one cares about your tweets, just like you don’t care about anyone’s tweets. Your last year of high school will be wasted on tumblr and messed up life choices. When you get to college, you’ll grow up a little bit, and you will start living in the now instead of a computer screen. The temptation will be fiery, but it will be worth it to avoid it.
9. Talk to your brother more often.
I know you argue and don't really get along, but it turns out he's pretty cool and you have more in common than you think. The older you get, the closer you'll get too. Don't take his presence for granted now because he's gonna be graduating sooner than you.
10. Go (a little) nuts!
This is your opportunity in life to be slightly stupid, to make mistakes and to learn. Turns out being a slightly stupid and making mistakes the older you get is more frowned upon than when you're a teenager. So it's okay to get it out of your system now.
11. Ask for help when you need it.
You still struggle with this today. If you have a boy problem, talk to mom. If you need help with chemistry, ask dad. If you are confused about college, ask a teacher. And for God sake, please ask questions in class if you don't understand something because teachers and professors are there to help you, not hurt you in the long run. So, ask!
12. Say yes to more things.
Go out on the weekends with your friends, say yes to meeting someone new. Say yes to traveling, spend some money when you're young and experience life. Say yes more often than no! (But say no to drugs and getting your tongue pierced, though).
13. Growth comes through the bad times.
The darkest days I ever had are the ones I look back on with the most grateful heart. The worst times are the times that have made me into the person I am, so when things get rough, just know it’s an opportunity to come out better on the other side.
14. Try to forgive, because you have still never learned to forget.
Forgive more often, because at 17 everyone around you is making mistakes too. You are learning through your mistakes, and you are growing. I know people will hurt you unintentionally, but you need to open your heart and mind and learn to forgive. This way, you can also learn too. Forgetting is the hard part. Still today it's impossible, but at least try.
15. You will get hotter.
Your body will grow in all the right places, and you'll feel prettier all over. Not because you got any better looking, but because you will feel prettier. You will accept how you look and eventually fall in love with it.
16. One day you're going to open a book and fall in love.
This is the day you will fall in love with literature, you will begin to hate it, and then love it again. Soon you will have lived hundreds of lives through the books you've read and stories you've written. Do not listen to people who tell you reading is a waste of time, and writing is for the broken-hearted. It's something you still love today.
17. I can't think of a number 17.
Just hang in there kiddo, it gets's better.
