Dear millennials,
I know growing up and paving the path to your future sounds great, but trust me when I say it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. You’re doing yourself a disservice by constantly hoping to grow older and fast-forward through your life. Enjoy the present and enjoy being young! You will be an adult for the rest of your life so cherish your youth while you can. It breaks my heart to see people younger than me rush through life. Where’s your sense of adventure? Set goals, travel the world, get an education, but most importantly remember that you’ll never be younger than you are at this very moment.
My advice is simple:
1. Though you may be getting “older,” preserve your young heart. Always be curious, and do things out of your comfort zone.
2. Spread kindness. A smile and a thank you go a long way.
3. Never forget to treat people of all ages and backgrounds with the same respect you seek.
4. Set goals. If you have aspirations in life, figure out what you need to do in order to achieve them and go after it.
5. Stop waiting around for good things to happen.
6. Stop trying to “fit in.” God made you for a reason.
7. Be grateful for the good and bad times. Sometimes the best lessons in life come from the struggles you face.
8. Appreciate your parents/guardians. They do more for you than you will ever realize.
9. You have the rest of your life to fall in love. If someone walks out on your life, so be it. You’ll be better off because of it.
10. Be there for your siblings. Like it or not, they are your family.
11. Don’t read beauty magazines. They will lower your IQ and only make you feel self-conscious. Just remember that you are beautiful, inside and out, and a fashion magazine will never tell you that.
12. Don’t fret if you don’t know what to do with your life. We all have our place in this world, and you will find yours when you’re ready.
13. Don’t be a bully. You don’t know the struggles the kid next to you is going through. You gain nothing by tearing someone down.
14. Give back to society. It’s a humbling experience to do something that’s bigger than yourself. Give back and do it often.
15. Forgive and forget. It’s emotionally draining to harbor ill emotions. Move on and learn to apologize.
16. Ignore stereotypes. Form your own opinion about others.
17. Get involved and stop taking life day-by-day.
18. Don’t get in a car if you or anyone else is under the influence. You could kill yourself, or worse –– someone else.
19. Binge watching Netflix is great, but go out and explore. Whether it’s 20 miles down the road or across the world, go see what life has to offer.
20. Embrace innocence and preserve your morals. It’s easier said than done, but allow no one to change who you are.
21. Your body is your temple—treat is as such.
22. You don’t need drugs or alcohol to have a good time.
Remember that you can’t reverse time. As cliché as it sounds, live each day as though it may be you last because eventually it will be.
Sincerely,
An adult who is not ready for adulthood
