Sure, we grown-ups have it hard. We have responsibilities and bills and stresses that would give kids nightmares. But at least we learn as we get older; we grow and change and get to know ourselves better. Kids don't yet have that advantage. I think at some point we all wish we could go back and whisper some of what we've learned into the ears of our younger selves. Tips and ideas and new perspectives that would have helped to make our young lives so much easier.
Wish you could go back and talk to your younger self? Well, here's your chance! Read of for a list of the top ten things I think most of us wish we could say.
10. Don't be afraid to be wrong.
There's no rule in life that says we have to be right all the time, or that we have to have all the answers. It's okay to mess up sometimes, and to be wrong. What's far worse is not even trying. So don't be afraid to speak up if you have a comment or a question; you never know what the answer may teach you.
9. There's nothing you can't learn if you're willing to try.
As an adult, you are often pushed into situations where you have to learn something new or make a change. And so you're forced to realize your potential. Don't you wish your younger self --who might have been lazy or afraid of taking chances-- knew how few your limits are?
8. It's okay to be yourself. Really.
This is one that it takes most of us forever to learn. We go through life looking at the people around us and trying to figure out what it is others want us to be. We try to wear the right things, have the right attitudes, tell the right joke, and make the right impression. When really, we should just be living our lives and being ourselves. Not only is that what makes us happiest, it's also the thing most likely to get us what we're looking for in the first place: respect.
7. Being happy is your responsibility.
If you're anything like me, your first few romantic relationships went a little like this: you had particular expectations for what love and happiness should look like. And when your partner couldn't give you the world and more, you became disillusioned.
When we're younger, it's so easy to leave the responsibly of making us happy to somebody else-- generally to a spouse or partner. Now, of course, you probably know better. You don't talk about "prince charming" or "miss perfect" on your internet dating profile-- you take responsibility for your own happiness. Which is why you're here in the first place.
6. Confidence is key-- even if you fake it.
It doesn't matter what you do or how you look if you always do it with confidence. Or even the appearance of confidence. Oh, how I wish I could go back and tell this to my teenage self, creeping through the halls with her head bowed and shoulders slumped.
5. You really should just kiss her.
When you think back on your life and what you did when you were younger, the huge majority of your regrets are about what you didn't do rather than what you did. Being too afraid to take a chance, make a move, and live your life is one of the biggest mistakes we make when we're young.
4. Trying to impress people is a waste of time.
We are who we are and trying to be what we think people want us to be is a waste of our lives. You can't please everybody; so you're better off just pleasing yourself.
3. The past is past.
It's so easy to get caught up in who did what or the mistakes that you made in your past. Learning to forgive yourself is something that it takes a long time to do. And learning to let go of old hurts is even harder. Unfortunately, just because you know it now doesn't mean you understood it when you were younger.
2. Life is short.
As far as we know, all of us only get this one life to live. Even as we get older, we spend so much time worrying about where we think we're supposed to be or what we think we're supposed to do that we forget to simply live. Many people use internet dating sites because they've already settled, made bad decisions, and didn't follow their hearts. Too bad your younger self didn't know what you know: that you're worth more than that, and that life's too short to settle for less than you deserve.
1. Buy stock in Google.
'Nuff said, right?
Of course, everybody learns different things and has different experiences in their lives. So please share yours! What, above all, do you wish you had known 10, 20, 30, or more years ago?
