What would my 18 years old self say seeing me today, I often wonder 😀
A few weeks ago I went to my 20 years high school reunion.
TWENTY YEARS!? Where did those years go?
I can’t believe I am about to hit big 40 in a few years…. :p
It was great to catch up with my old schoolmates I haven’t seen in decades.
Except some wrinkles and extra kilograms, most of people kept their character from the school days 😀
But what prompted me to write this post was a sense of REGRET from some of my high school mates – about the things they haven’t done, places they haven’t visit, life they haven’t tasted.
I couldn’t believe that in ‘our age’ people can have regrets!?
And that made me sad. So to all of you youngsters 😉 I hope you pay some attention here:
After high school take some time to GET TO KNOW YOUR SELF.
Don’t rush to get to uni straight away – take a year or a few off, travel the world, work, volunteer, etc.
And that’s not just going to help you learn value of money and your hard work. It might also teach you what you don’t want to keep doing till rest of your life.
Waiting tables at the restaurants together with looking after children as an au pair were amazing lessons for me.
And I was determined to get right qualifications to do what I am meant to do in this life – LIVE MY PURPOSE – doing what I love and loving what I do.
While speaking to some of my high school mates I got a strong AHA moment.
I realised I found my purpose in life early on mostly because I had – TIME for myself – to find MY SELF.
Without uni exams, job, husband, kids…
After being a kid and becoming an adult, this Transition Period is CRUCIAL for young people to find out Who They Are and What They Want from the future – without parents, professors or boyfriends planning their life for them.
DON’T RUSH TO GET INTO A SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP.
Seriously?! You are too young to be SO serious – LIFE IS FUN – GO OUT AND PLAY!!!
Enjoy being single, enjoy exploring, flirting and meeting different young people. You have – The Rest of Your Life to spend with one person, for fights and for boredom, for lack of sex ( or plenty of boring sex ), for zero me-time and so on…….. :p
ALWAYS PRACTICE SAFE SEX – not just that you won’t get pregnant but you also can stay away from all sorts of sexual diseases.
REMEMBER IT WILL AL GET EASIER WITH TIME.
Don’t listen to a stupid comments how you should be happy as this is the best and easiest time of your life.
It isn’t. It is fucking hard time but this too shall pass.
How on earth can this be easy time?!?
You are a kid who is now just – trying to learn – how to be an adult. Everyone around you is saying you are not a kid anymore, you should be thinking as an adult, you should be doing more and better, you should know who you are and what you want right now or else it will be too late…
Everyone is scaring you with their stories about ‘THE FUTURE’.
To top it all up you are a right hormonal mess which makes you FEEL everything so much more intense. And all that can very easily make you anxious, stressed, frightened, doubtful and sleep deprived. You might feel like you can’t eat at all or you binge eat your emotions away.
Your SELF CONFIDENCE will never be as low as now – I can promise you!
REMEMBER THAT NOT EVERYONE CAN LIKE YOU.
It’s ok if you don’t get on with everyone you meet, or you fall off with your friends.
You also don’t like every single person you meet?!
Real friends will stay with you through thick and thin and the rest will soon find yet another party to go to.
FOCUS ON WHO AND WHAT YOU HAVE INSTEAD OF WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE.
Even if you got only ONE friend, treasure and appreciate that one real person in your life!!!
Also focus on all your amazing talents and gifts and – USE them!
GET OFF FACEBOOK AND START LIVING.
I know it can be tough for your generation, but try and do three, five, seven day challenge without social media and see all the wonderful things you can do and create, people you can meet, places you can see, ideas you can explore, plans which you now have TIME to execute.
There is no one to compare yourself with and feel bad about yourself, it’s just YOU, your talents, and your real group of friends and family.
LIVE EVERY DAY LIKE IT’S YOUR LAST ONE.
Break your routine and do every day something new and exciting. Keep learning and have fun in the process!
KEEP AN OPEN HEART AND BE GENTLE AND LOVING – to yourself and others. Everything you say and do try with a softer approach. You will be amazed how rewarding that feels and how many doors will open for you!