19 Reminders From A 19 Year-Old

1. As long as you are happy and healthy, you are beautiful. You are almost already there.

2. Take more pictures of the people you love right now. They may not be around forever, and you’ll want to indulge in nostalgia twenty years later.

3. Clarity comes with age. Your eyes widen to what’s important, and what’s simply not anymore. You see who is good for you and who you should leave behind.

4. Your parents are never going to change. So, stop trying to change them. The sooner you accept them and learn to live with them, flaws and all, the happier you will be.

5. There will come a time when you want to chop your hair all off. It’s just hair; it grows. Don’t let anything weigh you down.

6. If somebody makes you feel insignificant, let them know. Don’t stay quiet. There is an old saying: “Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes”.  Showing emotion is not ugly or wrong; it is human.

7. Consequentially, if somebody does make you feel bad about yourself, cut them out of your life. Especially if it’s constant. You have beaten yourself up enough over the years, don’t let anybody else start to do it for you.

8. You don’t need to do what everybody else is doing. Pursuing an education is important, yes, but not necessary. Don’t judge anybody who decided not to do something that you are doing. If they are trying to make something of themselves, they deserve just as much respect.

9. Travel broadens the mind and fills the empty crevices in your heart. Be free and get lost in the world. It’s the one cliché that you should never let go of.

10. If you haven’t found someone, it’s not your fault. Stop blaming yourself for everything that isn’t perfect or right. There is nothing wrong with you, you just haven’t found anybody. You’ll know when it comes.

11. Sexuality is in human nature. So are many other things that are made to seem “taboo”. Be accepting and open-minded of people that are different from you.

12. It is important to read books, tell stories, make art, knit a sweater, go out for a hike etc… Find a creative outlet or hobby that feels like home when you are doing it.

13. There is a difference between people who are ignorant by choice and people who have no choice in being ignorant. Be understanding and patient with the latter. Not everyone has had the privileges you have had.

14. Show compassion. Smile at strangers who you will never see again. Teach people that kindness is never overrated.

15. There is some truth to the phrase, “You only regret the things you don’t do”. Stop letting fear paralyze you into doing nothing. Don’t let yourself stand still.

16. Dress yourself in polka dots, floral, and colors that make you feel good. Wear red lipstick to be fierce and fabulous. Put on heels that make you feel powerful and feminine. On days where life is getting the better of you, wear a big sweater and bury yourself underneath it. Hide your hands in the sleeves and make fists while nobody sees.

17. Everybody is hard on themselves, so it’s not just you that’s struggling. But hating yourself is a waste of time. You are the most important person in your life, for now, and it is okay to be selfish every once in a while. Love yourself because nobody else has to.

18. Don’t take life, or yourself for that matter, so seriously. Laugh obnoxiously and don’t apologize for it. Make memorable mistakes that will not matter a few months from now.

19. It’s okay, you’re not done growing yet. You are cookie dough waiting to be baked, a flower on the cusp of spring. Be patient because one day, you will look back and wish you were this age again. Let nineteen be a year to remember because there is so much more to learn.