I was asked to write a guest blog post answering the question ‘What one piece of advice would you give you teen self?’ I can think of dozens of things I wish I could tell my teen self. But the blogger asked for one, so I’m narrowing it down. One of the following topics will become my blog post:
Always remember that:
You will become the person you believe you are.
Our beliefs become self fulfilling prophecies. So be careful what you choose to believe about yourself.
It gets better.
For you, high school is just a necessary phase that will end. And you are going to thrive on the other side of it. I promise.
Own your mistakes. Don’t let them own you.
You will make mistakes. Guaranteed. Why? Because you’re human. But don’t let them crush you. Own your mistakes, learn from them, and move on.
Effort matters more than talent.
You can’t control which natural gifts you inherit. You can control how hard you’re willing to work. And nine times out of ten, hard work will take you further than natural gifts ever could.
Be teachable.
Sometimes people learn a little about a given topic and think they’re experts. But you will discover that the people you consider truly wise are teachable.
You are loved.
Don’t roll your eyes at me. This one matters, a lot. When you get discouraged (which you will) and have days when you are full of self- doubt, (yep, you will have those too) knowing that you are unconditionally loved will make all the difference.
Embrace what you love.
Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Find your passions, the things that make you light up inside, and embrace them, pursue them. Because your passions will not only enrich your life, they will become an important part of what makes you uniquely you.
Your attitude will shape your life.
Attitude is the difference between a disaster and an adventure, a miserable chore and the satisfaction of checking something off your to do list. You can’t always control your circumstances, but you can always choose your attitude.
What about you? What piece of advice would you give your teen self?