This Is Everything I Wish Someone Would Have Reminded Me Ten Years Ago

Have you ever wished that you had a time machine to fix a few of those “mistakes” you made along the way?

This is the advice I wish someone would have given me ten years ago in my early 20s.

Dump him. Move to a big city like New York or LA, even if you can’t afford it. Travel more, buy less. Have fun, but be safe. Enjoy your youth. See live music when possible. Stay up all night. Watch the sun rise and set as many times as you can. Fall in love with life, but be careful about falling for the wrong person. Don’t let a lack of love get you down. Don’t stay in the wrong relationship because you fear you’ll never find the right one. Spend as much time as possible with family. Learn something new every day.

Follow the news, even if it is boring. Follow politics, even if it doesn’t make sense. Read. Learn about history. Be respectful. Work out and eat healthy, but also get that piece of cake (just not the whole cake). Laugh. Cry. Shout. Get angry.

Feel.

If a guy doesn’t try to get to know you before trying to kiss you, run. Save all of the animals you can, and understand that you’ve done your best if they don’t make it. Follow the speed limit and road signs. Always pass scissors with the handle facing the recipient. Spend the extra money for bedding. Buy the generic food. Invest in a flask (drinks are expensive). Never drink and drive or get in a car with someone who does. Watch what you post on social media. Work hard. But make time for yourself. Save money. Be kind. Set goals. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t meet the goals you’ve set. Help a stranger. Keep a detailed journal. Don’t focus on all that you are not; focus on all that you are. It’s ok to slack off sometimes. Stay humble. Sing like no one is listening.

Appreciate those who appreciate you. Keep in touch with those who matter.

Know that people come in and out of your life at the absolute most perfect moment. Understand that not everything is in your control. Realize that life doesn’t always go as planned. Recognize that bad things happen. Grasp that sometimes there won’t be closure. Hold your head high in your darkest moments. Pretend when you can’t keep a positive attitude. Talk about your feelings.

Dance the night away. Keep an open mind. If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Give more than you receive. Find a positive outlet. Don’t be mean. Understand that just because you value someone, doesn’t mean that they will value you in return. Keep secrets. Once trust is ruined, you’ll never get it back. Be careful what you send in text or email. Tell the ones you love that you love them because you may not always get that chance again. Support a cause. Try something new.

Wish on stars. Learn an instrument. Really listen when someone else talks. Smile as much as you can. Sneak in to somewhere. Get all the sleep you need. Reminisce, but don’t dwell. Don’t put a guy on a pedestal. Put yourself on a pedestal. Find your own version of happy, even if it doesn’t fit someone else’s version. It’s not always happy endings, sometimes it’s the moments in between. Let go.

Despite it all, the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows, don’t wish to change anything. Each and every moment has lead us all to where we are and where we are going. Our pasts’ shape us. If you don’t like who you are, work to make the positive changes in your life that lead to a happier future you. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither were you. Like Faith Marie said,

“I’m my closest friend, I remind myself again, better treat her well because she’s with me till the end.”