Voices

Advice I’d Give To My 18 Year Old Self

A digital picture of a woman and a girl sitting together from Wallpaperup.com. In the background there is a forest. The centre of it is lit up. In the foreground, a little girl is sitting on a wooden bench looking happily at butterflies flying above her. Next to her sits a woman looking a little sad. She is looking down at a yellow flower in her hand.

Your teenage years are extremely confusing and stressful – you’re going through puberty, you have to make life changing decisions about your future

Your teenage years are extremely confusing and stressful – you’re going through puberty, you have to make life changing decisions about your future, and on top of that the dating scene is extremely tough. Yes, your teenage years are difficult, but according to me the most difficult year is the eighteenth year. There are many things that I wish someone would’ve told me when I turned 18.

 

  • Follow your passion – I think this is something everyone needs to know and understand, no matter the age. Following your dreams and your passions will make life so much easier – sure you may not earn enough money, but you’ll garner enough experiences that will make you happy. Happiness, according to me, is like money. The more happy I am, the more wealthy I am. It makes sense to me. I really wish someone told me this, before I started thinking of the practical career opportunities I had, in which I really wasn’t happy.
  • Stop listening to your peers – Honestly, everyone and anyone your age is just as naïve as you are. Stop getting pressurized to do drugs and drink until you’re high and have no idea what you’re doing. There are many personal experiences of my own that are prompting me to tell you this. Seriously, don’t listen to anyone else except adults and yourself.
  • That guy you like just wants to have sex – Again, this is from personal experience. I wish someone would’ve told me that most men at this age really just want to have sex. They don’t want any relationships, because most men are just experimenting. The same goes for women. It’s a blessing that I understood this before falling head-over-heels for a guy.
  • Other people’s opinions don’t really matter as much as you think – I remember trying to please as many people as I could because I thought their opinion mattered. I still catch myself doing this from time to time, and I immediately stop. I think it’s important to understand that if someone isn’t feeding you and financing you, their opinion shouldn’t and doesn’t matter. You need to be true to yourself, be the person you are. You don’t need to be accepted my everyone, because the less friends you have, the less bullshit you have to deal with. As bitter as this may sound, it’s incredibly true.
  • Read more, as much as you can – My passion for reading started a little bit late – when I was twenty. Reading more will definitely broaden your imagination, help you understand real life situations more, and it’ll really help you broaden your knowledge (especially if you like non-fiction books).
  • Start saying no to people – I think this is by far the most important thing. Start saying no to people because many of times, people just want to take advantage of you and/or the situation. Believe me when I say this, half of my mistakes could’ve been avoided if I would’ve said no. It’s difficult, but it’s incredibly important. Along with that, many people might not appreciate you for saying no, but those who do are good people.

There are so many things I wish someone would’ve told me, but these are definitely the top six things that would’ve greatly helped me when I was eighteen. Life is difficult and it’s a challenge to maintain, but with a little advice and help from other people who’ve gone through this age, life can become a little bit more bearable and easier to deal with. So go on, live your life happily and keep making mistakes, but learn from them too and become the best version of yourself that satisifies you, not anyone else.

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