There is nothing freakier, more accurate, or reliable than a mother’s intuition. If you don’t know what I’m talking about just picture this, and I’m sure you’ll understand…

You are in fifth grade you come home from school to your Mom who’s drilling you about how the school day went. Before you can even answer, she’s telling you how she "already knows what happened." When you ask her “how she knows this?” she just slyly responds that she’s “a mom and moms know these things.”

As the years go by, the “mom sense,” seems to grow stronger and soon enough you’re 16 with an attitude and your mother magically knows what you’re upset about even before you do. Or maybe the “mom sense,” just always knew what was going to happen, or when you were lying. Regardless of how your mother’s intuition was shown, I think we can all agree that moms really do know everything.

However, I know that it wasn’t always this way. At one point my mom (and yours too) was 18 and making mistakes left and right. I know, it’s hard to believe but moms didn't always have this all-knowing superpower. So, I decided to ask my Mom, and a bunch of other great moms, one question: “What advice do you wish your 18-year-old self-knew?”

Here are 18 pieces of advice that they gave…

1. “Love your self just the way you are—no makeup, extra pounds, morning breath—just the way you are.”

2. “It’s the best time in your life. Worry less, cherish friendships, and laugh. Most importantly, just know that it’s all going to be okay.”

3. “Don’t try and make everyone happy. There are people who will be miserable no matter what you do.”

4. “Don’t rush everything. Enjoy the moment.”

5. “Stay close to God and your family and accept them for who they are and love the hell out of both.”

6. “Don’t let fear or pride get in the way of doing what you want. Nothing you choose to do is permanent.”

7. “Keep your day going with a smile and a little bit of love for everyone you meet.”

8. “Take better care of your self both physically and emotionally. Try not to worry so much because things always have a way of working out. I would also tell myself that family comes first because they will always be there for me.”

9. “Moisturize! Wear sunscreen!”

10. “Being brave is not the absence of fear but finding a way through it.”

11. “Never stop learning.”

12. “Be assertive without being jerky but think for your self and do things that you like or want to do—not just because the crowd is doing them.”

13. “Surround your self with people that make you feel good about your self and ditch others who don’t.”

14. “Look at the positive side of life every day.”

15. “Don’t smoke cigarettes!”

16. “Laugh it off!”

17. “It’s no big deal! Whatever may seem to be big to me right now at 18, will be miniscule when I’m 30.”

18. “Enjoy it, it goes way too fast. Stop, breathe, enjoy.”