10 Things I Learnt In My Teens

As you may know if you read my April Catchup, this month I will be turning 20 and in preparation for that I thought it was time to reflect on the past 7 years or so of being a ‘teen’.

Oh the teenage years, they came with anticipation ‘I’m gonna be a teenager, it’s gonna be soooo cool’ and then the years passed with the usual gawky phase, growing up and your average highs and lows, achievement, friendships, getting my first job, learning to drive, starting University.

If you think about it, during your teenage years there is A LOT of change! Now it’s time to share some of the things I’ve learnt.

1. Photograph everything. Yes saving up for that camera will be totally worth it and try not to delete the photos that make you cringe at the time, later they’re going to be the ones that you laugh about the most.

2. Not having a bed-time anymore doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to sleep after midnight on a regular basis.

3. Mood-swings are best dealt with on your own. If you want to know the best way to deal with them? Grab a diary and a pen and pour everything that’s in your head onto the page. (You can rip the pages out later and stick them in the recycling).

4. Some people are just plain horrible and there’s nothing you can do about it. Those people don’t deserve an ounce of your time. Let it go and just pray that they find peace within themselves to become better people. There was a certain individual who spread nasty vibes and gossip to everyone around her, in the end most people saw her for what she was. Although it was hurtful at the time to be one of those that she talked badly about, but then acted nicely to when with me, I realised that she must have some serious self-esteem issues to be continuously berating people. I made it my goal to be nothing like her and I’ve been in a much happier place since I got rid of her from my life. Don’t bother with people like that, they’re gonna go nowhere in life unless they change and you don’t need to be on that path too.

5. You’re only going to have a handful of ‘real’ friends and that’s ok, because those people will help you through the worst times and be there to celebrate the best with you.

6. Even Beyoncé didn’t wake up like that.. we all have flaws and the sooner we embrace them, the sooner we can focus on more important things in life y’know. So what if your teeth aren’t as straight or your figure as ‘perfect’, why don’t you appreciate the good things about yourself. That doesn’t make you big-headed or vain, it just makes you confident and reduces self-esteem issues, which far too many women have these days.

7. First impressions are almost never right. Don’t be so quick to judge people and don’t blindly trust what others say about them either. Make excuses for people like you would want them to make excuses for you. Think good of people and you’ll feel better about yourself too.

8. Sometimes a long cry is the best medicine. Note: removing black eyemakeup first is advisable.

9. Everyone is fighting their own battle of some sort, so be as kind as you can. Don’t take it personally if they don’t smile back or react as you hope you would yourself. At the same time, don’t take people’s rubbish either, be kind always but be firm. Don’t be a mug and don’t get used, recognise when someone is being genuine and when they are not.

10. When you approach anything with a positive attitude it will be much easier and probably enjoyable, than if you were to do the same thing in a negative state of mine. #GVO

Anything you learnt from your teenage years that you’d like to share? Please do in the comments ^_^