Hey you,
I know that a lot of this will be hard to understand, and that’s alright. Adolescence is a special time of life. You are discovering who you are, who you are not, and what direction you are going to travel into adulthood. You are looking at colleges and careers, working your first job, and enjoying your last years of sports. You are having the time of your life and you don’t even know it. Here are a few bits of wisdom that I want to share with you that won’t take away from that.
First and foremost, thank your parents. Thank your parents for everything. They have done nothing but love and give to you. Respect their rules, because one day, you will become a parent yourself, and believe it or not, everything will make sense. The love that parents have for their children is unmatched.
If you have wronged someone, apologize. You will always come out on top when you can admit to your faults and attempt to make it better. If someone hates you, let them hate and carry on with your life. Never fight with anger, argue with knowledge and respect or don’t argue at all. Strive to be peaceful.
Gossiping about people is an ugly thing, so never contribute to the spreading of rumors—especially if you don’t know the facts firsthand. Recognize and let go of any negativity that is in your life. Just let it go.
If a boy makes you cry, let him go, too. You don’t need that. You will meet someone one day, if you haven't met him already, who will do anything for you and you will discover what true love is. Love is not painful, love is beautiful and happy. Time, family, and friends will heal your broken heart.
Many friends are temporary. They come and go, but you already know this by now. Family will never leave your side. Be friends with everyone, you never know when you’re going to run into each other again—it could be at a job interview. Be known as the person who gets along with everyone.
Make someone's day every chance you get. Random acts of kindness, no matter how small, go so much further than you think. Being kind far outweighs being in the “in crowd." I’ll let you in on a little secret—a lot of those “in crowd-ers” are still doing the same things that they were in high school, and I promise it’s not cool anymore. Parties are fun and all, but know your limits and know who your real friends, are as opposed to who invites you to parties.
Life will not always go your way, but everything happens for a reason. You won’t always win and there is nothing wrong with that. Chalk it up as a loss and move forward—it’s what you do after you get knocked down that matters.
Do not put your business on social media, you will laugh at yourself for it later. Don’t add people you don’t know, either, there are creeps out there.
Great things can happen when you step out of your comfort zone. Love and respect yourself. Be open about what you believe in and never feel afraid to do that. There is beauty in thinking for yourself and not conforming to the in-crowd on things you don’t exactly agree with. The minority is often louder than the majority.
Never stop learning—knowledge is power. Have a sense of humor but know when it is time to be serious. Always be honest, because lying is never, ever the right thing to do. Be patient and diligent, good things come to those who not only wait but work for it. Tell your loved ones that you love them, always. You truly never know when it could be someone's last day on Earth. Enjoy these times where you don't have to work and pay bills. Make conversations with the kids who don’t talk much.
Understand that you don’t know what so many your classmates are going through at home—some of them only get to eat when they come to school. I am begging you to appreciate your teachers. They care about you so much. They stay up late at night lesson planning and grading, worrying about their students and figuring out what they can do to teach you and prepare for that silly standardized test. They are under appreciated and underpaid, they are in it because they care about YOU.
Last but not least, adulthood is hard. You are going to grow and learn so much when you leave high school and go on to college and/or the workplace. Whatever you do, give it your all. Never settle for less than you deserve. Travel every chance you get. You are going to discover so many things and realize that you didn’t know it all as a teenager. Adulthood is hard, but it is so beautiful, too. Enjoy every moment and appreciate everything that you have.
With love,
Your 22-year-old self
P.S. I am sure that I will be writing again in 10 years or so.
