A few days ago I realized that 4 months from today, I am going to be 20. As in, I won’t be a teenager anymore. Which is so weird because most days I still feel 14 and most people still think I’m 14, but that’s besides the point. Today I decided to put together a little post that includes 19 things I have learned throughout the years.
1. People suck- There are mean and nasty people in the world and by the time you end your teen years you are going to have met quite a few. There are always people who are going to try to walk all over you and people who are rude for absolutely no reason at all. But as long as you don’t become one of these people, it will all be okay.
2. People are great- Going against what I just said, not ALL people are horrible. There will be people you barely know who will go way out of their way to help you, just because they are nice. You also will find some amazing friends who will bake you cakes, send you cards, and let you come hangout at their house whenever. These are the people you should surround yourself with and these are the people you should want to be like.
3. Learn to walk away and let go when needed- Put effort into your relationships, but make sure the effort isn’t one sided. If you have a friend who never reaches out to you first and is constantly canceling plans last minute, its probably time to move on, or at least take a break from them for a few months.
4. There’s always going to be someone who doesn’t like peaches- You’ve probably heard the sang before, and it’s true. There will always be people who don’t like you, but that’s okay. You aren’t living to please them. You work hard to make yourself happy and please God.
5. To-do lists are your best friend- seriously. They help you accomplish so much and never forget to do a task or go to a meeting.
6. God is bigger than any of your problems- no matter how bad life seems or how overwhelmed you feel, God is greater and He has your back.
7. Change can be good- I typically hate change, but without change it is impossible to grow. Everything is constantly changing, so might as well embrace it instead of being in denial.
8. Always choose to travel- traveling is great because it gets you out of your comfort zone and gets you to experience new things. Even if you are just traveling an hour away.
9. Say yes to dessert- these days so many people are constantly watching what they eat, but I have yet to regret a delicious piece of cake or ice cream cone.
10. It’s okay to relax- pick a day and spend it at home reading a good book and painting your nails. Today’s society encourages people to constantly be busy, but it is important to slow down sometimes or else you will become burnt out.
11. Don’t compare your life to someone else’s social media- just because someone is posting perfect pictures of themselves every day does not mean their life is together. People tend to keep the bad hidden away, so don’t be too hard on yourself. You never really know what another person is dealing with.
12. Ask for help when you need it- don’t let your pride get in the way if you really need help with something.
13. Don’t be the friend who shows up late to everything- we all have that one friend who can’t seem to get anywhere one time. Whether it is 5 minutes, 15, or never. And you tend to lose respect and trust in someone like this. So don’t be that person.
14. Failure is okay- it shows that you tried something new, and you can now learn from your mistakes and move on.
15. Quality of quantity- I’d rather have 5 nice shirts than 10 cheap shirts that will get worn out after two wears. Along the same lines, I would rather have a few good friends than dozens of fake friends.
16. Be present- don’t be engrossed in your phone during a fun outing with friends. You guys know I love taking pictures, but sometimes it is better to just live in the moment and enjoy it. For a happy medium, try taking a picture or two to remember the occasion, but don’t spend your whole time snapping away. And ALWAYS edit/post later.
17. Don’t depend on others for your happiness- if you let others control your happiness, you will basically never be happy. But if you are in control and choose happiness, then it is a different story.
18. If you want it, work for it- contrary to popular believe, things won’t just fall into your lap if you wish hard enough. If you want to get into a certain college or get a certain job, you will have to work for it. Hard work will always pay off though!
19. Have fun- don’t spend your whole life working away or watching Netflix alone. Learn to go out and have fun sometimes, because those are the memories you will remember best.
What have you learned so far? Share one thing in the comments below!
xo, Scarlett