Even though teenagers believe they know everything (we've all been there!), there are just some things you can only know and experience with age.
1. "$1,000 is a lot to owe — but not a lot to have."
2. "When we're younger, our perception of time is very different. We think we have all the time in the world. Our life is often filled with, 'I'll get to that later.' or 'I have plenty of time.' Let me tell you, we don't have nearly as much as we think. Time slides by ridiculously fast as you age. I mean that. So, here are a few more specific items that you can consider:"
"Career: If you have specific career objectives that possibly involve education or such, don't put it off. It never gets easier. There is never a 'better time.' I had intended to go to law school after my undergrad but put it off because I was just burnt out from going to school and working. Anyway, I told myself I'll do that later when it's a better time. I've never made it back.
Relationships: First, if you have an idea of what you want out of a relationship and life, you have to make yourself that person, first. Meaning: to attract the life and people you want, you have to be that person to make it happen, not the other way around. Have a serious conversation with yourself and identify your character traits, strengths, and weaknesses. You probably need to ask friends for their sincere input, because it's extremely difficult for us to be objective, particularly, when we are younger. If you know what you want the 'end' story to be, then you have to map out your path to get there and implement that. There. Are. No. Shortcuts. Do the work.
Relationships continued: It is very, very easy to become complacent in a relationship. To settle for what is comfortable rather than what is satisfying or fulfilling. Be judicious with your time. This doesn't mean you should have throw-away relationships, but it does mean you should be more conscious about who the other person is, and how they fit into your life, the life that you want.
My general thoughts: I have lost both parents and over a dozen friends. Time creeps. You don’t think, even for a second, this is the last time I’ll see these people. We take them for granted so much. If you look back and knew that those were the best years and the best times of your life, would you have appreciated it differently? I don’t know, but I will tell you, as a person who has moved over 50 times, gone to 17 schools, and lived in four countries and 20-ish states, time flies by a lot faster than you expect. Do. Not. Waste. It. People you think you’ll see again, for sure, pass away.
I hope even one of you reads this and takes a new level of appreciation. Tell the people you love, that you love them. Seize the fucking day."
3. "Everything is expensive when you move out."
4. "For better or for worse, confidence opens as many doors as competence."
5. "Learn how to manage money. Too many young people get deep into debt because they don't know how to save or how credit cards actually work. Remember that there is an order of where your money goes: Rent and bills must come first and foremost before anything else."
6. "Don’t worry about not having the respect of people you don’t respect."
"I'd like to add: 'Don't take criticism from people you wouldn't ask for advice.'"
7. "Internships matter way more than grades."
8. "You are the main character in your story — but you are not even an afterthought to eight billion people."
9. "People's bad attitudes and personalities have nothing to do with you. A lot of people had really shitty upbringings and are stuck in a cycle of shit. It's so much easier mentally to forgive people for being a piece of shit than to let it fuck you up."
10. "You have to be your own advocate because nobody else will."
11. "Life is all about consistency. Consistently try to do better. You might not do as great as you did last week, a few days ago, or even yesterday. Life isn't about that. Life is about getting the fuck back up and making it a point to yourself only, that you are about bettering yourself. This goes with so many aspects of life. Just cause you succeed today won't mean you succeed tomorrow. What really matters is the little wins you created. They stack up and you'll feel more confident when you do what you have to do, no matter how you're feeling. Life will hit you with setbacks but it's up to you to be courageous enough to keep on pushing."
12. "'It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.' —Captain Jean-Luc Picard."
13. "You know how sometimes you think to yourself: 'When I'm an adult and have my own place, I'll be able to do whatever I want?' Make sure whatever you want includes doing the dishes."
14. "You have to make an effort to have a social life. You'll have to work to have a good life, and you'll be tired like you never have been before. It will make having fun and going out harder. Enjoy being a teenager as long as you can, but don't try to fight becoming an adult, because it will just get harder and harder."
"It really sucks to read this. But I feel it. I'm in my mid-30s, and if I don't initiate, nothing ever happens. It really does get tiring — and I gave up. They don't even get an ounce of my energy anymore. But I still have a good time without them."
15. "Nobody really knows what they’re doing."
16. "Comparison is the thief of joy."
"The only person you should be comparing yourself to is your past self."
17. "During high-school, learning how to learn is more important than anything you're actually learning."
18. "That sometimes you’ll only have yourself to rely on."
19. "Your job sees you as replaceable. Look out for yourself and your family. Your job is not everything but it will feel like it is. Make sure that if you don't like where you are that you change it. Don't be miserable at a job because it pays well."
20. "You don't need a lot to have a happy life, either. Maintaining one awesome friend is more worthwhile than the struggles of maintaining several okay ones."
21. "1. You would be amazed at the things each person on this earth has had to overcome. Everyone has a story, everyone here has battled, and everyone is a victim of something or someone. Be proud of your survival and celebrate your birthdays."
22. "Document everything with your landlord. Keep texts, receipts, no oral agreements, and follow everything to the tenancy laws."
23. "The ones that’ll hurt you most are those closest to you."
24. "Life is extremely unfair. And there is no reason for that. People who have expectations of things being fair in the real world are always sorely disappointed."
—u/[deleted]
"I like the way it was put in the comic strip Frazz: 'Life isn’t fair or unfair. Life is arbitrary. People are fair or unfair — which will you be?'"
25. "You are responsible for everything you do, and you will be held accountable. Enjoy your youth until you're 16 because, after that, the kid gloves come off."
26. "That it’s all about marketing. It doesn’t matter that much how hard you work, it’s more about how you sell yourself. Even if your point of view is correct, without proper communication and negotiation skills, no one will probably care."
