11.28.2012

Advice to a Younger Self




Every year, I get a little reflective before my birthday. I’ll be turning 28 on Monday and it’s so amazing to look back on where I was seven, six, five…heck, even two years ago. I remember when I was little that 28 sounded SO OLD. I could never even imagine being 18. Oh, how the naïve have fallen…

And then it got me to thinking. What advice would I give to younger girls? And here’s what I’d say: 
  • Don’t let other people decide your self-worth. You are an amazing, expensive, non-expendable human being. At the end of the day, you’re the only person that’s required to be with you forever. Value yourself, your body and your mind to the fullest. 
  • Invest in yourself. Whether you choose to go to college or pursue a trade school, if you choose to learn French or take up playing the piano, your efforts will pay dividends later in life. 
  • Take care of yourself. Exercise, eat right, don’t smoke; wear make-up if it makes you feel good. Style your hair. Maintain a good skincare regime. All these things become exponentially harder as you get older. Start taking care of yourself, so that by the time you’re 28, it’s old habit. 
  • Find a good moisturizer and hang on to it like it’s the Holy Grail. 
  • Pray. It’s the best way to find answers to some of life’s most difficult problems. God is the best counsel ever. 
  • Play the field. Not that there’s anything wrong with settling down at a younger age or with a high school sweetheart at all. But for me personally, I just wasn’t ready until my mid-twenties. It’s okay to date for the sake of dating. It gives you an idea of what you want in a long-term partner – and what you don’t. And besides, you’ll get some great stories out of it. 
  • Your parents aren’t nearly as moronic as you once thought. They have eons more wisdom than you and have insight far beyond the understanding of your budding mind. Call your momma. Have coffee with your dad. Listen to their advice. You’ll need it someday. 
  • Choose a career that lights your soul on fire. Passion lends itself to success, so no matter what field you choose, if you love it, you’ll do well. 
  • Be picky when it comes to choosing your life mate. There’s plenty of time for that later on. I have a good friend who settled at the age of 23 for a man who didn’t treat her very well. He was decent-looking and said all the right things to her, but they also just filed for divorce. She admitted one day that she just felt like she needed to get married because of the taboo nature of being a single woman. I can tell you with one million percent certainty, she would have been FAR better off alone. 
  • Open a retirement account as soon as you’re able. This is as boring as advice comes, but I’m so glad I did just that. 
  • Live alone for a while. There’s nothing like the valuable life lessons that come with managing a home or apartment on your own. I can now fix a toilet, use a power drill, pay bills with my eyes closed, etc. This was the most useful, valuable time period of my life thus far. 
  • Learn that it’s okay to like yourself. It seems as women, we’re taught to practice self-deprecation and self-loathing from a young age. For instance, when is the last time someone paid you a compliment and you believed them? Pick out a few characteristics of yourself (both physically and otherwise) and learn to appreciate them.
What advice would you give to your younger self?

Be blessed, lovelies-

26 comments:

  1. This post is 100% so true. I am 23 and so many of these things I am writing down to tell my 13 year old sister.

    What an inspiring post--I am going to have to do one like this before my next birthday!

    Thanks for sharing!

    xo KB

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  2. This is amazing advice! I just turned 24 last month and am living alone while going to grad school full time! I had such a hard time explaining to people how I wanted to live by myself to prove I could do it alone :)

    This is some great motivation for the future!

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  3. Beautiful thoughts & advice! Agree with every single one times a million. Especially the last one... it sometimes feels wrong to love and appreciate our own selves, but if you can learn to do that, then you focus more time on doing things for others! xx

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  4. Awesome list.

    I did not listen to the moisturizer part as a young girl and still struggle with it at 35.

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  5. Thanks for the wonderful advice! I JUST turned 26 and HATE my job, but also know that I have benefits, a good schedule, steady paycheck AND retirement! I work at the welfare office and many, many people are far worse off than I am. I also wonder if I'll ever get married and have kids? I guess you just have to take life one day at a time and stop looking. Hopefully "good things come to those who wait" will be true.

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  6. LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  7. Hello ! Although I have a daughter your age, which means that I'm ooold, I cannot find one thing to add to this wonderful list. I just wish I had your maturity and intelligence !xxxx

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  8. This is wonderful advice. Congrats to reaching 28 and having good advice to give! I'll be 27 for my next bday and I am amazed in how different I am just the last 6 months much less looking years back. I like this idea for a post. I think it does a soul good to reflect on things learned. Thanks for sharing!!

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  9. What important and heart-warming advice! Thanks girly!

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  10. This is such a cool idea and has definitely got me thinking about my list.

    Katie XX

    Sweet Apple Lifestyle

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  11. I'm 18, just started college and I LOVE this post! probably one of my favorites that I've read in a good long time!!
    OXOX

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  12. I'm 33 and I would tell my younger self to wear sunscreen evey day! I wish I had; I have fair skin, blonde hair, blue eyes, and got melanoma at 27 and I'm starting to get fine lines (I hate to call them wrinkles) now (thank godness for Botox) :)

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  13. Loved this post! Happy early birthday!!

    Xo-L

    simplylowcountry.blogspot.com

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  14. I'm 23 and this is perfect for me right now. But what moisturizer do you use/recommend?! I'm in dire need of one.

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  15. Good stuff! I would add being thankful for your body. I always thought I was so fat as a teenager and now I look at pictures from that time and wish I was that size again - ha!

    I must really agree with the retirement plan one as well - compound interest = amazeballs!

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  16. Such good words of wisdom! I will re-read this post when I'm doubting myself. Thank you!

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  17. Amen, honey! These are all so true. Happy Birthday to you next week. My birthay is today and I'm feeling much older this year--30 is next year, yikes!

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  18. I completely agree with living by yourself as a Single gal! I can totally take care of my self right now and wouldn't trade it for the world!

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  19. I love this. I also get reflective around my birthday. I want to tell you Happy Birthday Early - Fellow Sagittarius - my birthday is Saturday.

    I love all of these tips, they are SO, SO true!

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  20. All of your tips are extremely helpful to a fourteen-year-old girl like me! Thank you for sharing!

    www.simplydaring.blogspot.com

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  21. What wonderful advice. Oh how I wish I could write a letter to the younger version of myself. I think I would laugh if someone told "younger Whitney" where I would be now and the path that I took to get there. Thanks so much for sharing such great advice! I'm sure that some of your younger readers will be inspired.

    I hope you have a wonderful birthday too! 28 was a GREAT year for me!

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  22. Very true! Great advice!!! Hope you'll have a wonderful birthday!
    If you want, let's follow each other on Bloglovin ;)

    LA By Diana Live Magazine

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  23. I'm way past ya but this advice is precious! As a mother to young adult women (and a son), this advice is priceless!

    Thank you!!

    I'm sharing on Facebook, ok? ;)

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  24. Leslie,

    I just found your blog!! I am impressed with this post. You've inspired me to do something like this!! What wonderful thoughts, love this post!! Following you now :-)

    XO Jenna
    Demureindiamonds.blogspot.com

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