I am SO glad that I’m not in high school anymore! Not because I didn’t have friends or have fun, but simply because I am much more satisfied with being who I am now. Young people (and some not so young) can be cruel & make very unwise choices.
Although I have been a Christian since I was 8, I haven’t always lived for Christ. No, I’m not perfect now. Nor do I “have it all together”, but God is much more prevalent in my life now than then. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change the way my life has turned out…I LOVE it! Yes, some t
I was reading a blog the other day that was talking about what this woman would say to her “high school” self as she was preparing for her 10 yr high school reunion. Mainly geared toward single women, her point was that she wasn’t married and didn’t have children like she thought she would. Life hadn’t turned out exactly as she planned. It was a VERY good blog both for those whose life hasn’t turned out exactly like they planned AND for the rest of us whose life hasn’t turned out exactly like we planned. Yes, you read that right! I don’t believe anyone has their life planned out an everything goes exactly according to the plan. If it did, I believe people would have extremely boring lives!
So I thought to myself, “What would I say to me when I was in High School?” Though that has been more than 20 years ago, I still know some changes I would have made. Maybe my life wouldn’t be any different than it is now, but I SURE could have saved myself some heartache! Some of my advice is the same advice I give to young people now.
1. Don’t revolve your life around a boy/girl or lower your (& God’s) standards when it comes to right & wrong. Life moves much more quickly than you think and you WILL look back with regret one day if you do things only because “everyone else is doing such & such”.
2. Don’t be super concerned with your body image. Eat healthy, exercise & take care of your body, but don’t obsess about your body image. See yourself as your friends see you, not as you see you. Your friends love you because you are beautiful, funny, friendly, etc. Look at yourself through their eyes.
3. Surround yourself with positive people. If someone is constantly negative, you need to let them go.
4. Always rely on God and His Word. He will never lead you astray and sometimes friends and especially those who aren’t your friends will.
5. If you have a problem that seems like the end of the world, go to God first and always sleep on your decision to say anything. Never react by saying the first thing that comes to mind, but also don’t just ignore everything that people do to you. Basically, speak the truth in love & don’t be someone’s door mat.
6. Don’t be afraid to try new things! If you want to sing, act, drive, play a sport, whatever….don’t be afraid! TRY!
7. Prepare for college as early as you can. Even if you don’t go to college you have life experiences by having filled out applications, given references and interviewed.
8. Save money!!!! It is hard to save when you are young because you don’t make much money, but even if you put away $1 a week you can save! If I had started saving $1 a week when I got my first job, I would have over $8000 in savings JUST from that $1 a week!
9. Never quit! Don’t give up on your dreams even if life doesn’t turn out exactly how you planned it. Keep working toward whatever your goal is.
10. Don’t take your parents & grandparents for granted. You can’t get that time back once they are gone.
These are the first 10 things that popped in my head, but they ALL have meaning! I would encourage you if you are a young person to read these and really think about them. If you are 30 or older, think about or write out what you would tell yourself!
Some of my boys’ friends like to say “YOLO” (you only live once). EVERY time they do, I always reply “YODO” because you only die once, too! Make your life count for something greater than what YOU map it out to be. God has a greater plan…..NEVER doubt that!
Life Changes 