It has come to my attention that I'm getting old. Not old, but I'm no longer a teenager, but not quite an adult. I'm in the weird, in-between phase.
A lot of my co-workers are younger than me, and at that age, you get a lot of advice from different people. These are the pieces of advice I'd wish I'd believed when I was a teenager.
1. You're Beautiful
I know how often you hear this, but how hard it is to believe it. But you are ridiculously, amazingly, completely beautiful. Remind yourself of this daily. Treat yourself like your own best friend, and whenever that negative voice pops up in your head, shut it down. I've wasted a lot of time feeling unworthy, and I could have saved myself a lot of trouble if only I'd listened sooner.
2. Don't Be Validated By Others
It's much easier to follow what others decide, instead of having to make your own decisions. But you are allowed to have different wants and needs than your boyfriend or your best friend does. Don't feel like your worth is validated by what they think of you, because it's not. Your worth is determined when you follow your own path, not in the shadow of someone else's.
3. Guys Aren't Everything
Don't go out with a guy who doesn't respect you. Don't feel like you need to have a boyfriend. You have plenty of time to find the right guy for you.
4. It's Okay to Need Help
It's hard at any age to have it all together. I hope you have (or find) a friend/adult/parent who is a great listener when you need someone to just listen, but who will also give you advice when you need help. You don't always have to be perfect.
Please don't forget, at any age, how amazing and wonderful you really are.
