Life is filled with negativity, obstacles, and numerous lessons. When someone is in their teenage years, you might as well keep all your opinions to yourself because they will not want to hear it, or will do completely opposite of what you say.
Often we will hear teenagers state, " I can't wait until I am older, and can do what I want" or " I can't wait until I am an adult living in the real world." I was one of the teenagers who had to learn many of life's lessons the hard way. Now that I am older, there are a few pieces of advice that I would give my younger self.
1. Listen to your parents
Teenagers think their parents are their enemy during this time and do not want to listen to a word they say. Parents know what is best whether it is setting a curfew, telling you not to go to a certain place, or telling you to stay away from a certain friend. They want what is best for you, and even though you may not like it now, you will most certainly thank them later.
2. Love yourself
You need to learn to love yourself before trying to let someone else love you. This will end up saving you the pain of heartbreak and negative thoughts about yourself. Being able to accept who you are has to be the biggest key to this life. You cannot expect anyone to pick up the pieces if you are not willing to do it yourself.
3. Stick to your gut instincts
Following your instincts can help you succeed, or prevent you from going through with something you are not comfortable with. This can include your decision about going a step further with your significant other, making a huge decision about your future, and many other situations. You have to learn to trust yourself and what is within you before you can anything else.
4. Go with the flow sometimes
Life does not have to be planned out step by step for you to be happy. It is said that the journey is often better than the destination. Learn to enjoy life and not take it so serious all the time.
5. Build a relationship with God
We all remember being forced to go to church with our family when we were younger. Our younger self-hated the boring sermons and songs. We really did not understand the message that was being given. I would tell my younger self to take the time to build a relationship with God because that is the most important relationship we can have in this life. Having a strong connection with God will not only allow us to understand life a bit more, but will allow us to have a hand to hold on to while we go through this journey we call life. He is our best friend, mentor, and most of all, our wonderful creator.
This next piece of advice comes from my friend Beaty who said,
6. "When your mom tells you not to wear foundation because it will mess up your skin, listen to her."
I feel as though that one is self-explanatory.
The most important piece of advice that I would give my younger self would be...
7. Not to think negatively about yourself
Negative thoughts and feelings about oneself can destroy the mind, body, and spirit. Never surround yourself with people who feed into those bad thoughts, and who encourage you to keep destroying yourself. Negative thoughts are the evil elements in life who fuel hatred for others and yourself. When we start being positive and comfortable with who we are, we can begin to live the life we were meant to live.
Life is all about learning from mistakes. Knowing what we did wrong, and growing from that experience will not only help ourselves but give us the ability to help others. Life is an amazing experience, where anything is possible.
