I'm a 16-year-old girl (though I don't even look that old) with a petite body, but inside this small frame I feel completely grown.

My body may say bud, but my Soul definitely says flower. Since I was young, the world looked much different to me than it did to my peers. I always felt odd and older. None of this ever made sense to me until I learned what an Old Soul was.

Those with an Old Soul are wise beyond their years. Inside of them lies a mind, heart, and soul far different than others their age.

Our eyes, as the windows to our souls, look deeper and sadder but more powerful. They see things from a different angle, from the angle of someone much older. Young people with old souls often feel out of place.

Many people believe old souls stem from the experiences of their past lives bleeding into their current one. It is a large blessing and a curse. Though it is difficult to fully explain, as it is a feeling and a mindset, here is what it's like to be a teenager with an Old Soul.

Old Souls are quite commonly misunderstood. To adults, teenagers with Old Souls are either met with extreme open arms or a shake of the head and click of the tongue. Some adults find the maturity and attitude amazing in someone young. Even more adults brush them off. They treat these type of people as kids who just try to grow up too fast and think they know everything. It's far beyond that, but they can't treat us past a smarta** teenager.

To other teenagers, unless they are also an Old Soul, they just see our souls as annoying. I personally have earned the titles of "uptight" and "mom". There are a few teenagers without the same maturity that actually respect it, but most just look at us like we're crazy. On the occasion that you connect with another teenager's soul it is ground breaking.

Being an Old Soul comes with its setbacks. No, I don't think I know everything, but I understand far more about life than adults think I do. I feel like I have to defend my view points as how I see the world is slightly more uncommon. With my peers, I have the ability to goof off with them, but I've always felt a bit like I was on the outside. I have less angst and less ability to have fun in the same ways. It gets frustrating sometimes as I feel I am just stuck and can't explain my self to anyone. It can feel like a battle between feeling like who I truly am and what my actual age suggests I am

Above all, I love having an Old Soul. It's part of my identity. The positives far out weigh the few draw backs that come with it. I have always felt a strong connection to the past and it's culture, style and music. Life events impact me far deeper, but if I don't already know how to handle them I draw a much greater lesson.This wisdom has always given me the strength to fight through the worst times. It has opened opportunities for me that others will never get.

The world is grand and beautiful to me, as is life. I understand things beyond me that make my life simpler. My heart is open and I am free. My attitude, maturity, and ideals are things I will always cherish. My old Soul constantly feels like a blooming flower with a passionate fire fueling its growth, and I wouldn't trade that for anything