Just the other evening I was thinking to myself about things I wish I could go back and tell a young me. I was reminiscing about the past and people that have come and gone and how my life had changed for the better. At least once a month I always think about the path I'm on in life and where it's headed, weird I know.
Anyway so while I was having my monthly life planning session with myself I started to realize how much heartache and drama I could have saved myself if someone.....oh say future me had walked up to me, slapped me on the head, and said listen to this because it will change your life. I probably wouldn't have listened anyway but having a daughter makes me want to do the exact same thing for her when the horrid teenage years approach our lives. So without further ado, here are the top 10 things I wish I could go back and tell young S.
- Learn to Let It Go - In my younger days I was awesome at holding grudges and using my anger to get what I want. Little did I know though I came off as a raging bitch and only the people that really loved me wanted to be around me. In my adult years as I have grown leaps and bounds I've learned not to sweat the small stuff.
- Constantly Challenge Yourself - I think this goes without saying but in this day and age I feel like for some weird reason kids feel entitled and want everything given to them. If you aren't constantly challenging yourself to be better and do better you will always be stuck right where you are. I would tell a young me to go out and grab life by the horns and hold on for the ride.
- Learn to Love Unconditionally - Everyone has their first love and of course the love of a close friendship, however for me I didn't learn to love until much later in life. I'll admit that I never felt real and true love until the day Miss B graced my life. I've probably only been in real love once maybe twice. So I think if I could go back I would learn how to wear my heart on my sleeve a little more. I'd learn to not be so cold-hearted and embrace love for what it is.
- Learn from Lost Loves and Friendships - This was probably the greatest lesson of all that I have learned in life. I would constantly make the same mistakes with friends and significant others until I learned to see what the lesson was and the mistakes I had made. I was constantly dating the same people over and over again and surrounding myself with dramatic friends. Once I learned to let go and figure out where I went wrong it was easy to cut the fat and right the wrong.
- Don't be Dramatic - Being a young girl this is almost nearly impossible but it is also one of the most annoying things in the world as well. Dramatic girls are so overly annoying and rarely do people like them. I can admit to being one of these girls at some point or another in my life. Thank goodness I left it in my teenage years though and I haven't looked back once!
- Do What Makes You Happiest - Don't follow the crowd just because you are afraid no one will like you. In the end, do what makes you happy because those that love you always will and those that don't support your decisions don't matter. I don't think you should ever have to compromise your passions because someone does not agree. If it really makes you happy then your real friends and family will support you because they only want the best for you.
- Be Yourself - This one probably goes without saying but I think it's also commonly missed as well. It took me well into my late 20's to finally realize and accept the person that I was. In that there were also some changes that took place in order for me to come to terms with my wonderful individual personality. Your friends and family can change you sometimes for the better or worst. It takes a strong individual to be un-swayed by the ways of the world. Once you are comfortable in your own skin you can conquer all and be un-swayed.
- Be Mindful of What You Are Putting Into Your Body - I think one of the most valuable and eye opening experiences I've learned is what all is really in foods. Our food especially processed food is piled high with cancer creating chemicals, hormones, and pesticides. I have learned so much about real food and eating clean and how important it is for your body to function properly. I'm now educating not only myself but Miss B in hopes of her making the correct decisions for herself when she is my age and younger.
- Pick a Lucrative and In Demand Career - In my rush to just be done with college I picked a career that maybe is not as lucrative as I thought it would be. I've been in banking since I was 18 and sometimes it seems like it is a black hole. I'm always really envious of those people who sat down and researched what they wanted to do with their life and then actually followed through with it. I would have loved to do something with dance but I knew immediately that would not pay the bills, shame on me because many of my old dance friends are out there working and making a living as a dancer.
- Create a Long Lasting Bond with Your Family - The one thing I miss the most in my family is the closeness. Both my mom and dad's side of the family are not close with one another. I long for that good old fashioned family fun where everyone genuinely enjoys each other and has fun with them. I have cousins but we are not close at all nor do I think that we like each other which is sad on multiple levels. I hope that when I gain another family when I choose to marry that family will be close and awesome and enjoy each other's company. I think it's a great thing to have.
