My birthday just passed, and I turned the anticlimactic age of 19. I don’t know about you, but with each birthday that passes I like to reflect on my life and the things that I’ve learned throughout it. More specifically, I like to think of advice that I would give to my younger self.
So here’s a list of the 19 things I wish I could tell my younger self.
Dear younger self,
1. You’re not going to be good at things the first time you do them.
      Even Picasso was a beginner painter at one point. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re not good at it the first time. With that being said:
2. Things take practice.
     Be patient. It will be a struggle at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. Don’t give up just yet.
3. Own a denim jacket.
     It is a timeless piece of clothing, plus they go well with everything.
4. The good outweighs the bad, always.
     Even when you have a terrible day, you know deep inside that there was something good that came out of it, and that one good thing can override all the badness.
5. You’re always more capable than you think you are.
     Especially when you don’t think you can’t handle it, you can overcome it, and you will overcome it.
6. Leggings are so much better than pants.
     Yes, they don’t have pockets, but pants suck. Leggings are so much more comfortable.Â
7. You are not alone.
      No matter how lonely you feel, there will always be someone there for you. Always.
8. Buy your toiletries in bulk.
     You save a lot of money this way. If you run out, that’s okay because you bought it in bulk so you probably have that product in your bathroom somewhere.
9. You deserve the good that comes to you.
     Even though it’s hard to believe, you are worthy of good things.
10. You don’t have to be your mistakes.
     Even though it seems like that’s the only thing you can remember, you are not your mistakes.
11. You are the person who matters the most.
     Even though it doesn’t seem like it at times, in the end, it’s just you and the life that you lived. Live for yourself, not anyone else.
12. Have an opinion.
     You have a voice and it deserves to be heard.
13. Get a reusable water bottle.
     You save so much plastic in the long run and it’s just more convenient than always having to get a new one each day.
14. Do things with a purpose.
     If you don’t, then why even bother to do it?
15. Dry shampoo is a life saver.
     Please for anyone that struggles with having oily hair, get yourself a bottle of dry shampoo. That will change your life.
Photo courtesy of unsplash.com
16. Everyone deserves love, even you.
     Even though this doesn’t seem true, you are worthy of being loved. No matter how you feel about yourself, you deserve love.
17. It’s okay to take a break.
     You don’t always have to be in pursuit of something. Even marathon runners take a break to breathe, you should too.
18. You don’t have to have a dream.
     You don’t have to have a big dream or goal, if you do things that make you happy, then that’s enough.
19. You have the power to make things happen.
     Seriously, believe in yourself. You are capable of doing so many things if you just allow yourself to be open to the possibility of being able to achieve it.
I know, these things are cliche, but they’re cliche for a reason. To my younger self, I’m proud of how much you’ve grown over the years. All the struggles you’ve been through were just nutrients in the soil so that one day we will grow. All for all the struggles you’re facing now, I really do believe that we will overcome this. Thank you, for not giving up. I do believe that we will bloom at the end of this road.
Gif courtesy of giphy.com
Love,
Amanda Rae
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