Last week, I turned sixteen, what I call the seesaw age. It's the age where you can still be a bit reckless without consequences but it's also when you begin preparing for adulthood. Here is a list of three lessons I have learned in my 16 years.

1.It is totally okay to put yourself first. It isn't selfish. At a young age, most of us have this fear of selflessness ingrained in us. While it is extremely important to support other people, we cannot forget to take time to ourselves and celebrate our own accomplishments. We are often so committed to making our friends and families happy that we dismiss the importance of our own happiness.

For example, I was best friends with someone who had a fairly troublesome home life. I always tried to be there for her. Whenever she'd text me saying something was wrong, I stopped what I was doing--even missed dinner a few times--to talk with her on the phone. Looking at the big picture, it sounds generous, but in reality, I felt a load of pressure on my shoulders. Though I am glad I could be a friend to her, this has taught me an important lesson; I need to step back for a second and make sure that I am okay before helping others.

2. You will find your passion. It may not be tomorrow or the next month, but you will find it. There is an entire world for you to explore; surely there's something out there that you're passionate about. Some people are extremely lucky and find their passion early on, but for most of us, it takes time.

In my sophomore year of high school, I took Journalism 101 knowing very little about how to put together newspapers or news magazines. I ended up loving the class and am still a part of the newspaper staff. There is no better feeling than to see my name in print on a piece that I spent countless hours writing. This goes to show that simply trying something new and random that may seem out of your comfort zone can actually help you discover something you are incredibly passionate about.

3. Find the positive. If you feel like you are stuck in a mental or physical place that you aren't content with, keep this tip in mind. I wouldn't exactly call this a lesson for me, but a continuous goal we should all aim for, to be positive and find positives in our daily lives. Finding the positive in everything and everyone certainly isn't easy, but it is an ongoing lesson that takes practice.

For example, say you're a teen staying up all night, preparing for an exam the next day. You may feel stressed, exhausted, confused, etc., but think about the long-term effects of your hard work. The positives to devoting hours and hours to this exam is that you will earn a good, or at least decent, grade. It will also expand your knowledge on a particular subject and improve your working skills. So it's not all bad, eh?

Even though I'm only 16, I keep these tips in mind throughout the day and can confidently say that they have helped me to understand the importance of loving myself, getting out of the house and trying new things, and looking for the positives in every situation, even in seemingly not-so-good situations.