Kristi is the blogger behind The Story Siren, which is wonderful! Click here to see her wonderful blog. =)
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My teenage years are ones that I’d rather not re-live. True, I had some fun times, but looking back now there are a lot of things I’d wish I’d done differently. Nothing really that I regret, because things turned out good in the end, but definitely a few things I would have done differently. If only I’d had the wisdom that I do now.
Things I’d wish I’d have known when I was a teen
1.) That all those people I thought mattered in high school don’t.
It’s natural to want people to like you. But don’t be afraid to be yourself. To make mistakes, to not do the cool thing. I spent way to much of my time in high school worring about what other people thought of me and why I couldn’t be as cool as her. After graduation, you’ll never see these people again. Except for maybe your friends, but even then people change. So, take my advice and do what you want, be who you want, and don’t worry about what other people think. If they don’t like you, they suck anyway.
2.) That you don’t have to know what you want to do with the rest of your life before you graduate high school.
I don’t know why they make it such an adamant point in high school, that you have to declare a major, that you have to know what you want to do with the rest of your life before you even graduate! Don’t feel like you have to know. I’m twenty-six and I still don’t know! Sure, it’s good to have a plan, to know something that you would enjoy doing, but you don’t have to have your whole life figured out before you turn 18.
3.) That boys are overrated.
If I had to do high school over again, I wouldn’t have a boyfriend. It was so much more trouble that it was worth, when I look back on it now. I’m not saying that I think that everyone should avoid having a boyfriend, but I would have been better off. When I started dating my dad gave me one piece of advice. He said, “Kristi, boys only want one thing.” Which of course I replied with, Not (a boys name), he’s a nice guy. In which my dad replied, “I know, because I’m a guy.” And you know what my dad was right. (Which brings me to number 4)
4.) That your parents aren’t as stupid as you think they are.
I had a good relationship with my parents as a teen, but there were times when I still though they were full of it. How dare they judge my clothes, my boyfriend, my friends... they don’t even know them! They may not have knew them personally, but they knew someone like them, because 99% of the time, they were right. I still won’t admit that to them today! But I wished I would have listened to them more. That’s so cliche to say, but it’s true.
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Thanks Krist!
hope.
4 comments:
This would be some pretty good advice to give to one's past self if it were possible!
But the boy thing? I made millions of poor choices about boyfriend stuff in high school. Which sucked at the time and for several of the years to follow, too. But I often think now: what would I even have to write about if I hadn't suffered so much then? :-D
Some good advice except I went to an all boys school and we hardly came into contact with girls... Missed out there somewhere.
Still you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your Prince/Princess
Barry
Great guest blog!
The part about all those people that mattered in high school really don't is so true. After graduation, I hardly ran into a lot of my classmates. Really, those that I did run into where in a completely different city. Odd.
Amen to the you don't need to know what you want to do with your life after high school! I'm 24 and still trying to figure it out.
Amber
Sound advice Kristi, I concur!
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