Here are thirteen pieces of Advice that I would give myself when I had less life experience as a younger person. Our adolescent and teen years are often filled with so much angst and worry. Quite often these concerns range from superficial worries like the type of music we’re into and want to be seen to be consuming to elevate people’s impressions of us, to real serious concerns such as body image issues and our relationships with food. As a fully fledged adult who can now healthily reflect on my past experiences as a teen, the following thirteen pieces of advice are for my younger self.
1. Advice: Some friends are only here for a season and that’s okay.
2. Though you dislike their decidedly poppy sound now, do you know that one day you’re going to miss The Fergie era Black Eyed Peas and their relatively clean brand of pop and upbeat tunes?
3. Watch people’s actions towards you and not their words.
4. You really need to slow down on the fizzy drinks.
5. There’s no need to try and model yourself off of other people. Be authentically you at all times.
6. What they are doing is called fat shaming.
7. That weird goosepimply sensation you get when someone is trying to distort the very real truth during a discussion or argument has a name. Gaslighting. And it is a real thing.
8. Music really is the best thing ever and that will never change for you.
9. There are tricky times ahead but you will get through it.
10. Some people are only family by blood.
11. Stop buying clothes a size smaller for ‘when you lose fourteen pounds.’
12. Learn to let go of people who consistently don’t make time for you.
13. You will be so glad that you Kept your CD collection!
What advice would you give your younger self? Let me know in the comments below!
I haven’t seen the film but I’m planning on it now! I love # 7, gaslighting. I too often ignored that prickly feeling. I’d tell my younger self to listen to my instincts! #10 and #12, ‘letting people go who don’t have time for you’ and ‘some people are only family by blood’ often go hand in hand! Thanks so much. Great post.
I’m glad you could relate. Honestly I only learned what gaslighting was in the last five years or less! It was a real eye opener for me.
This was such a good read. The note about the Black Eyed Peas made me giggle. I like how you mixed solid advice with peppy wisdom at the same time. So great!
Thank you Stephanie, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post!
These are some really good pieces of advice to give your younger self. I would like to tell myself to enjoy myself and not to worry about what people thought. Thank you for sharing.
Lauren – bournemouthgirl.com
Ah yes, not worrying about what people think is a massive one! Thanks for sharing Lauren 🙂
These are amazing!
I love that we now have labels for things that used to happen, but now it has a name, haha!
I would tell my younger self not to stress out so much, because it simply isn’t worth it.
Thank you! It really is a relief that we can now pinpoint certain uncomfortable experiences. It’s weird how far we’ve come
considering that I felt like I was growing up in a pretty forward thinking progressive society yet couldn’t really pinpoint or define other’s
toxic behaviours.
I love this post. Things like this make me really emotional, thinking about what I would tell my younger self, knowing what there is to come. I think your first point about some friends only being here for a season is SO important xxx
Thank you Jenny! I think friendships can be such a source of anxiety when we’re younger but it would have saved me
a lot of worries if I’d just been told that some friendships are just for a season and that that is also okay 🙂
It’s so important that you mentioned gaslighting!
Realising a word for it was definitely an Aha moment for me. I’d always had a weird feeling when someone did this and moved the goalposts to
win an argument, but I couldn’t quite define what it was they were doing.
I just love the variety of little things here, such as the meaning of the CD collection! I truly would regret it in seconds if I ever gave away mine . . . love your thoughts on how actions mean so much more than words too, and how music is a lifetime love affair. 🙂
Thanks Jaya! there was definitely a time several years ago when CD’s went out of vogue that I considered selling them, however as time has gone by, I
realise how valuable they are to me 🙂 And yes, action are so important!
All your points are so true, some made me giggle as I kinda felt them close to me too! I think being myself and just stop caring about what others think would be the main piece of advice for younger me.
I’m glad to hear that you could relate to some of them! Caring what others thought of me was everything when I was younger!
I really enjoyed this post. This is all sound advice. I would tell myself to travel more before settling down. I really wish I would have traveled more or studied abroad while I had the chance!
This was so thought-provoking; I will have to think about what advice I’d give to my younger self. I think this is a really great way to nurture ourselves now too and see how much we’ve overcome and achieved. It’s a good reminder that there is more yet to come. Thanks for sharing!