With less than a month until my 20th birthday, there are several things going through my mind right now. The scariest realization of all is that I will no longer be a teenager. Moving into a new decade in my life means more responsibility and surprises will be waiting for me. I can’t help but look back at all the wonderful things I learned in my years as a teenager, especially as a 19-year-old. I know I still have a lot to learn; however, I’m confident that what I learned this past year will stay with me for the rest of my life.
The biggest thing I learned while being a 19-year-old was to be independent. In the beginning of the year, I felt obligated to hang out with certain people. Once I tried to take some time for myself, they made me feel guilty for not being with them as much. Then I realized I should never feel forced to hang out with friends and that I was wasting my own time hanging out with them. I should want to spend time with people that make me happy and don’t pressure me to spend every single moment with them. When I stopped hanging out with them, the extra time allowed me to be more productive and creative, and I even raised my grades.
My advice is to not wait for anyone -- if you want to do something, do it! If there’s a movie you’ve wanted to go see, but everyone else it too busy, still go see it! It took a while to get used to doing tasks alone -- I kept wondering if I looked lonely or awkward -- but once I stopped worrying about everyone else’s opinions, I began enjoying the time to myself so much more. It helped me gain confidence. My true friends understand and respect the fact I want time to myself, mainly because they are independent, too.
Later on this year, I learned another important lesson that will carry on through my life. Sometimes we cannot change our situation, but we can change our attitude. Through trial and error, I learned it’s not always best to sit around, pouting and feeling sorry for myself. It doesn’t change anything; however, by controlling my attitude towards the situation, I can add optimism. Doing so doesn’t necessarily change the situation, but it makes living it easier. Having a positive attitude gives me the ability to overcome the smaller obstacle of sadness in order to power through the tougher problem of the situation.
Although I am turning 20 next month, I know I still have so much to learn about life. I couldn’t be more excited for the challenges and adventures ahead of me. Some people may view this article as arrogant because I am young and writing about advice, so let me say this: I write these words with humility only to pass on advice I would have wanted when I was turning 19. So, be independent, don’t wait for anyone to tell you what to do first, and if you can’t control this situation, control your attitude. These are the two pieces of advice I will pass on to anyone preparing to enjoy their last year of being a teenager.
