10 Pieces Of Advice I Wish I Had Listened To When I Was Younger

I don’t regret much in my life because everything you go through is meant to teach you something. However, I regret not listening to the words of those who knew what they were talking about. The words that were so simple to understand yet so hard to follow.

1. Do what you love and success will follow.

After college, our focus becomes how to make money, that we often pick a career that we do not love. We forget that we are choosing a career that we are going to have to stick to for a very long time and a life spent doing that work. Ironically, you’re more likely to make money if you love what you do because you will simply never get enough of it. Take the time to figure out what it is you love to do.

2. Don’t worry about what others may think of you.

I spent so much time trying to please people and consider what they might say or think if I do something unconventional, until I realized that people are never pleased and they will find something to pick on or talk about. While it’s important to be considerate of others, don’t let their thoughts limit yours.

3. He/she is just not that into you. 

Instead of wasting months and years trying to translate text messages, interpret mixed signals or closely look for signs of interest, your time is better off spent being with someone who doesn’t make you question the simplest methods of communication or look for elusive signs.

4. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

In other words; choose your friends wisely. They will play an important role in your life and will have a profound impact on your decisions. Choose your inner circle wisely and make sure they want the best for you.

5. Sleep on it.

This is precious. I’ve been known to destroy things because I am impulsive and impatient. The best piece of advice I received when I was hesitant, or angry or hurt is to sleep on whatever it is that was bothering me and make a decision the next morning. It’s amazing what 6 hours of sleep can do to your mind and your decisions.

6. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

As simple as it sounds, if you want to change something in your life, you will have to do things differently or change something within yourself. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

7. You can’t learn to swim without getting in the water.

You can’t experience life just by observing and you can’t know how something works unless you try it. Taking risks and trying new things is the best way for us to get to know ourselves and understand our lives and truly learn from our own experiences.

8. Don’t expect people to treat you the way you treat them.

If you expect someone to be good to you just because you are good to them, or someone to like you just because you like them, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. When it comes to people, it’s best to drop all expectations and give without expecting anything in return. You only have control over you–not anyone else.

9. You have to learn how to be alone.

It took me a very long time to be OK with this. I used to think that being alone is the worst thing that can happen to anyone. But I realized that sometimes it’s pivotal to be on your own to figure things out and grow as an individual. We can’t guarantee that people will be there for us when we need them to, and one of the best lessons we can learn in life is how to be comfortable with being alone. It will empower us.

10. What’s meant to be will be.

It may sound like a cliché but it’s the ultimate truth. We can’t control our fate because some things will always be unknown to us. Time solves everything, and we will get the answers we were desperately looking for when we are ready for them.