Today I'm turning 25 years old! Wow!
I thought I would be in such a denial, but apparently now I take this aging up thing better than I did last year. I just can't believe that this day have actually arrived though, the day when I'm already in my mid 20s. When I was younger I used to believe that I will be married by this age and enjoying my life fully. Little did I know that not everything will be going as smoothly as what this brain of mine had planned.
Well, since I've reached an age that is rather special to me. I thought I would love to write something special too. I guess you have already known what I'm about to write, because I know you've read the title of this post (obviously). So, without further ado, here are 25 things that I would love to tell my younger self:
1. Go easy on your parents.
I must admit that I was not the easiest kid to be dealt with, well I think most teenagers are. Most of us have that short-temper problem when it comes to our parents sometimes. I was an extremely moody kid, and it feels like I was always angry when they're starting inviding my personal space, criticising my poor choices, etc. But, as I got older, I finally learn to see things from my parents' point of view and I ended up realizing that they're just human beings after all. They're not perfect but at some point they always try to.
2. Stop buying stuff you don't need.
It's a waste of money and space. When you look at how ridiculously high that piles of things that you ended up never using anyway, you'll understand.3. Everything happens for a reason.
You may not see it now, but somehow you'll see it eventually. Just trust your heart and do what you feel is right. This kind of faith will take you far.
4. You may think you're not, but you're such an egoist sometimes.
I never admitted that I was such an egoist person when I was younger. I thought that I always have a caring heart for others, but I just realized how selfish I truly am just around this year. Sometimes, when I make decisions or do something, I uncounsciously choose an option that fits me best because I want things to be done the way I think is right. I learned it the hard way to finally realizing this negative trait that I have, but I'm glad that I get it now and I can start learning to control my ego.
5. Love yourself enough to eat well and exercise.
I was that kind of girl who took her vegetables with her spoon, put it on the corner of her plate, and never touched it again. I was also the kind of girl who never enjoyed her P.E. classes. This is the one school subject which was her least favorite subject ever! I never thought that I would somehow learn to enjoy them until I see how amazing their effects to my body and health. Still not loving them 100%, but it's a progress.
6. Stop trying too hard to fit in.
Everyone is unique, so expecting yourself to be exactly the same with all of those people around you are simply ridiculous. Just find what you're good at and keep improving those traits of yours.
7. It's okay to be wrong sometimes.
You're just a human who makes mistakes and doesn't have all the knowledge in the world (even though you want to), so it's completely normal to make mistakes. I used to feel so anxious about making mistakes, but I learn that the mistakes actually help me to grow, a lot.
8. Life isn't that simple, but you'll survive.
I don't know why, but I used to think that life is going to be easy and pretty (maybe I watched too many Disney films 😂). Oh well, life is rougher than I think it was. I can feel its hardness the most, right after I graduated from university. It was the time when it's totally up to you to take the next step. Where do you want to go? That's the question that kept haunting me for a while at that time. However, as time goes, and as I learn to take one decision at a time, everything just turns out okay.
9. You'll learn how to do your makeup eventually.
No, I didn't have any makeup or skincare routine when I was younger. If I'm not mistaken, I started using face cleanser to wash my face at around the end of my junior high or the start of senior high era (?), and I started learning how to do my makeup in 2015. I thought I will never be able to do any of this, but I just love makeup now. It's kind of dangerous to leave me in a cosmetic store with plenty of money nowadays. Just telling you 😛
10. Enjoy school while it lasts.
The thing I miss the most, even now, is my school days. I just miss my friends and the unlimited time we could spend together. Now it's rather hard to find a time to meet each other that much, because we have our own schedules. I also miss how my biggest fear was not being able to do well on the tests and graduated, when my biggest fear now is not being able to earn a proper living. So, when you're still there, just enjoy it as much as you can, then step into the adulthood with confidence.
11. Capture as many memories as you can.
Capture the memories through your photographs and writings the best you can. Just admit it, you can't remember everything that is happening in your life. So, it's just nice to keep some reminders of the beautiful moments you had in the past 😊
12. Life gets easier with family and friends.
When you're lonely or tired, you can lean on your family and friends. They may not always going to be there, but when they do, they can contribute their love to help you cope better with your stress. You don't need to tell them your problems if you don't want to, but having a random conversation with them can actually cheer me up sometimes. Just try it 😉
13. You'll learn to love the things you don't enjoy.
I know you don't really like sushi and green tea right now, but will you believe me when I said that you will love them and even get addicted to them in 2016? Believe me, because even now I'm craving for a cup of iced green tea latte. Honestly, the guy you'll end up with was never your type either, but somehow you see something greater than just following your current likings. You can change your mind sometimes, so just be more open minded and get ready to fall in love with the new things 😁
14. There are some thing you'll never stop loving.
I did say you can change your mind, but there are some things that you'll always end up loving, like: Disney, reading, singing, writing, rain, the smell of the earth afterward, relaxing in a cafe, etc. These things are the things you're passionate about. Keep them always close to you, because they're who you're truly are.
15. You can't predict every single thing, so just stop expecting too much.
It's just not healthy to want everything to go smoothly as you've had planned, because you're not in control for everything. You can't control time, you can't control others, the only thing you can control is you. So, just have an average expectation on those things you can't control, because it will totallt helpful to reduce your stress.
16. Your social skill will get better, just embrace it.
I used to be socially awkward and I guess sometimes I still am. I also totally love to observe others from afar better than engaging in conversations. I would always think that I had a really low social skill and I would never have any friends, but through my university years I improved a lot and I didn't really push myself, it just came really naturally. So, yeah, no worries, you'll do just fine.
17. Stop getting angry all the time, it's just tiring.
My father said so to me. He knows this because he's the kind of person who gets irritated easily too. So, I know he's talking about this out of his experience. It's totally relatable to me, because I have to admit that it's really tiring to get mad you know. Your head just feels like it's bursting and all negative thoughts just keep spinning and spinning. When you're done with your anger, most of the time you'll reflect on the foolish things you've done while you're angry. Let's try our best to keep the heat down, shall we? 😊
18. You are in control of your emotions.
I used to lean on others to make myself feel better. It would totally work when that particular person was available at the time, but when they didn't I would've felt even much more miserable than before, which is bad, really bad for my mental health. I stil do this bad habit sometimes, and I try my best to control my emotion at times. When I just can't, sometimes I will cry, pray, and just have some sleep. These things will totally help me feel at peace again.
19. Goodbye is unavoidable.
Even when you hate the fact, there will be some friends that you'll end up never meeting again, some people who have to die first, and some people who you just grow appart. Just accept this fact. If you end up meeting them again unexpectedly then it's good, if not then you can only hoping they're enjoying their days.
20. You'll find him.
I was always afraid that I will never find my life partner, but don't worry girl. You'll definitely find him and the wait is definitely going to be worth it.
21. Don't really have any care on any negative comments about you.
I pity people who feel the need to say bad, negative, unconstructive, and plain evil things about others. I feel like they're actually the ones in pain, and it's just their way to scream their broken hearts out. Don't take this kind of comments seriously because it will end up making you broken too. Try to be a positive influence to them instead if you're able.
22. Life supposed to be a gift, not a torture.
When you have problems in life, don't feel like they're tortures. Yeah, they're freakin' hard and stressful sometimes, but they will shape you for the better. So, in a way, those problems turn out to be the gifts for you right? 😉
23. You thought you'll always love comic and fantasy books, but at the end you'll love heavier books.
Admit it, as much as you love to imagine those amazing stories in your head, you're also so thirst of knowledge. That's why the more you grow, the more curious you are about lots of things, and your book collections will have more variety of books 😁
24. Be grateful, always.
You always seem to forget this. At the time of hardship, just remember what you have which others don't. It will make you think and finally see the bigger picture of your live, then you can see how small your problems are compared to the grace you've had.
25. You'll always have Him who loves you through all eternity.
I never really realized that He loves me this much. Now that I've seen how much He truly loves me, it's just hard to unsee it. Now, His words and Church are the place for me to find peace to go through my life. I would love to share this beautiful experience of mine with you on another different post, because this one is quite long already 😂 Just try to lean to God more, because He'll always be listening.
Alrighty, that's it!
I hope this list could be a pretty good advice and guidance through your teenager time when you're still not quite sure about life.
See you on my next post!
CN.
