As much as we all hate to admit it, our moms hold within them more wisdom than we might ever obtain. And while it seems difficult to accept their readily available advice, I willingly admit that my mom has given me (at least) these eight pieces of wisdom that have continually pushed me forward, and forced my head up in times when all I wanted to do was sit down and give in.
Some friends are temporary, and some friends will stay.
Absolutely hold onto the friendships that you believe are worth holding onto, but keep in mind that some of your closest friends when you're raising a family may not be the same people that are your closest friends when you are seventeen.
As hard as it may be to see beyond what is happening right now, things will get better.
I cannot even begin to count the number of times that these words have come out of my mom's mouth, but it is so true. Those near our parents' age have a much easier time understanding this because they have seen beyond all of the heartbreak and pain that we will inevitably encounter. But it sometimes feels nearly impossible for younger people to see beyond the hurt and that "end of the world" feeling and understand that there is so much more to life than what we may be experiencing right now. It may seem a gamble to trust this now, but a little belief in the future might be all you need.
Let nothing define you except for you.
The likes, the grades, the opinions of others. Absolutely nothing should be able to define you except for yourself.
You have to start somewhere.
Whether it be babysitting every weekend or cleaning hotel bathrooms, anything can be the start to a more successful tomorrow if you let it be.
Always write thank you notes.
While the nagging of this may have gotten repetitive and obnoxious, it truly is so important to acknowledge others and express the necessary gratitude to them, whether it be a relative for a graduation gift or the follow-up to an interview.
Be kind no matter what because you never may know what someone is going through.
Unless someone sits you down and expresses to you their life story, you will honestly have little to no understanding of what someone may be going through. Through the masks of happiness or oblivion or even resentment, everyone has a story. And whether you know the story or not, always be kind.
Bring an extra sweater or coat because you will probably ask for someone's later if you don't.
It has happened more times than I would like to admit, but always bring an extra layer just in case.
It is usually worth taking the chance.
With a few exceptions, there are always going to be things that you will look back on and wish you had done when you had the chance. Through any of your fears or anxieties, try to take the chance because you never know when or if the opportunity may present itself again.
Like I said before, it can be difficult to break through to our seemingly all-knowing and very experienced selves; however, it may be time to actually listen to these little pieces of advice because as cliché as it may sound, Mom knows best.
