What's some advice you would tell your 16 year old self ?

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  • rammsteinsoldier
    rammsteinsoldier Posts: 1,556 Member
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    Dear 16 year old me:

    In 3 years you are going to be asked by a certain someone to get married. RUN don't walk the other way and NEVER, NEVER say yes!!!!!!!!!!

    You are thin now so don't allow yourself to put on weight.

    There is a thing coming in the future that you definitely want to be a part of. It is called computer technology invest immediately.
  • 13519485
    13519485 Posts: 264
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    Dear Candace,

    Just before your 16th birthday you suffered through a series of horrible events. Your suffering will only get worse through 2011 and you'll turn to food and alcohol to aid you. By the end of 2011 you will have gained about 260 pounds, most of your friends will have deserted you, and Jennifer will have left you. You will attempt to end your life several times using alcohol, but you'll wake up in your own vomit only to face another horrible day of flashbacks, intense anxiety, and severe depression. In January 2012 you will end up finally doing what's best for you, and you'll commit yourself into addiction counselling and inpatient psychiatric care where you will remain until late March, and you'll be free of alcohol, but you'll still have a very long road of mental-health recovery to travel.

    My advice to you is to get help now. Don't wait. You cannot handle all of this on your own. You think you can because you're stubborn, and you try so hard to make the rest of those around you believe that you are strong, and you are strong, but even strong girls need help sometimes. You've just been through something violent and terrifying, something many other women suffer through each day. Seek them out, find survivor's groups and listen to those who have survived similar experiences.

    Hopefully, if you take my advice now, you will suffer through only a few more years of pure misery before life starts getting better, and hopefully you will not lose Jen. She really does love you, but every one has a breaking point. Do you want her to reach her breaking point after she's already proposed to you? Yes, you lose her after becoming engaged. That thought alone should be sufficient enough to push you into the necessary action.

    Cheers,

    You in 2012
  • scapez
    scapez Posts: 2,018 Member
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    Dear 16-Year old self,

    You've only been smoking for a year, and you don't smoke that much. Quit NOW so your 45-year old self won't have such a tough time at it!

    Sincerely,
    Your 45-year old self.
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
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    THIS>
    Baz Luhrmann-Sunscreen song

    Here is a video if you want to listen to it:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQlJ3vOp6nI

    Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97
    If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
    it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
    scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
    than my own meandering
    experience…I will dispense this advice now.

    Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
    understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
    But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
    recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
    you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
    imagine.

    Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
    effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
    bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
    never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
    on some idle Tuesday.

    Do one thing everyday that scares you

    Sing

    Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
    people who are reckless with yours.

    Floss

    Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
    you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
    yourself.

    Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
    succeed in doing this, tell me how.

    Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

    Stretch

    Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
    life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
    wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
    olds I know still don’t.

    Get plenty of calcium.

    Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

    Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
    you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
    chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
    congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
    choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
    use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
    think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
    own..

    Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

    Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

    Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

    Brother and sister together we'll make it through
    Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there
    I know you've been hurting, but I've been waiting to be there
    For you.
    And I'll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
    Everybody's free.

    Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
    good.

    Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
    people most likely to stick with you in the future.

    Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
    should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
    lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
    knew when you were young.

    Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
    in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

    Travel.

    Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
    philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
    that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
    noble and children respected their elders.

    Respect your elders.

    Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
    maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
    might run out.

    Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
    look 85.

    Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
    supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
    fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
    ugly parts and recycling it for more than
    it’s worth.

    But trust me on the sunscreen…

    Brother and sister together we'll make it through
    Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there
    I know you've been hurting, but I've been waiting to be there
    For you.
    And I'll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
    Everybody's free.
  • poncho33
    poncho33 Posts: 1,511
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    Dear 16 yr old me...

    BANG THEM ALL

    took the words right out of my mouth
  • jacque1129
    jacque1129 Posts: 113 Member
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    get off your butt the internet will still be there in an hour.
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
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    EAT SOMETHING, ANYTHING!! Don't date a guy 6 years older than you. Stop smoking. Stop stressing over things you have no control over, life has a way of working itself out.
  • DyannAlvarez
    DyannAlvarez Posts: 162 Member
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    You're mom really does know what's best. Listen and then DO what she says! No one loves you more than her.
  • TK266
    TK266 Posts: 3,689 Member
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    Dear 16 yr old TK:

    it is for the best to break up, she is going off to collage.

    As for E.Z (you'll know her by the initials) , stay away, that p*ssy is toxic ... literally.

    Next year say yes to Val, it will end in tears, but you will hate yourself if you don't say yes.

    Try a little harder in school, you're smarter than you think.

    and yes, Mom is crazy. She will only get weirder and you can't stop it.

    signed
    48 yr old TK.

    P.S. the good news is you in a lot better shape and still have all your hair.
  • amymrls
    amymrls Posts: 1,673 Member
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    Dear 16 year old me,

    Drugs and sex will not ease your pain, they will just make you feel worse. You will loose your best friend to a drug related accident so don't try to quit partying so much and ease off the alcohol. Everyone doesn't hate you. They just don't know you and quite honestly you scare them with your bluntness. Try to come across more gently when talking to others.

    Your parents don't hate you they just don't understand you. Yelling at them and running away all the time won't fix this. Just take a minute sit back and listen you will work things out. Your grandmother will not live forever. So don't stop spening time with her she is the most positive influence you will ever have in your life.

    Don't get married just to escape your current situation. It will not turn out well. Give people a chance to love you. YOU ARE NOT WORTHLESS! Beauty fades and were NOT put here just to look pretty. You are worth more than that.

    Don't try to kill yourself, it won't work and you will regret it later because people never stop talking about it. The pain fades but the people you affect by this will always hold the pain you put them through. Besides you don't know what amazing things your fututre has in store for you.

    You will find love, you will find happiness and you will be loved by many not just someone tolerating you. Family is not always blood. They are the ones who love you despite all your flaws. Be strong move forward and understand everything will not always go your way, but things always work out in the end. Have faith and love God put you here because you are supposed to be here.

    YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU KNOW!

    So much love and faith,
    Me
  • JPod279
    JPod279 Posts: 722 Member
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    Tap all dat azz you can now!
  • Margentine
    Margentine Posts: 113 Member
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    Dear 16 yr old self

    Please go back to school
    Do not move out of your parents house
    Being a rebel and contradicting your parents and teachers is not gonna take you nowhere.

    Do not idolize Raphael , He will break your heart and get your friend pregnant.
    This will cause some mayor trust issues in your future relationships.

    Stop expending your money on drugs, parties, and things that You think make you look cooler than everyone else.
    If I could smack some sense into you right now ..oh...I WOULD !
  • AlayshaJ
    AlayshaJ Posts: 703 Member
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    Hmmmmm. 16? That was three years ago. I did alright that year. I had fun and did what I wanted with the person I love. I also was pregnant for most of it!


    18 however... Go to a therapist, you know G will pay for it.
  • MrsR0SE
    MrsR0SE Posts: 343 Member
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    You are not fat! Enjoy your life, start exercising, it's actually not as bad as you think it is.
    Everything's going to be ok, don't worry so much about the future, you will make friends and be happy with yourself - you are worth loving xxxx
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
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    1) Don't worry so much about boys, dating, etc. That all will come later.
    2) Get involved more - make high school a good experience.
    3) Work on your confidence.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
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    Dear 16 year old Mandy,

    Don't be the lone groupie for a band. They may be your friends but some will use you, one will ruin most of your teens-early twenties.

    Don't stress over your mom, she will never change and will continue to be selfish the rest of her life. You will understand it soon.
  • MiniMichelle
    MiniMichelle Posts: 807 Member
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    Dear 16 year old Michelle:

    1. You don’t know everything like you think you do and don’t say everything that comes into your head
    2. Stop falling for those older guys; they only want to have sex with you.
    3. Remember to tell all your friends and family how much you love them, you will lose them earlier than you think.
    4. Remember your value and worth
    5. Finally… listen to your Mother… she is not stupid, it is not any different for you, and knows what the F**k she is talking about.

    With all my Love,
    The older and wiser you

    P.S. Do not think your metabolism won’t change… it will! Stop eating fast food, drinking beer, and don’t get too comfortable in your relationships because you will end up fat.
  • jennys11
    jennys11 Posts: 118 Member
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    Dear 16 year old,

    Stop worrying about the future, it all ends up working out. You are beautiful and will become skinny, so stop weighing yourself. You will get everything you ever wanted, just believe.
  • Krissy366
    Krissy366 Posts: 458 Member
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    THIS>
    Baz Luhrmann-Sunscreen song

    Here is a video if you want to listen to it:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQlJ3vOp6nI

    Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97
    If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
    it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
    scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
    than my own meandering
    experience…I will dispense this advice now.

    I still think there is so much wisdom there, and quoted a piece of it in my intro post.

    There are lots of things I wish my 16 year old self had known - but would I go back and tell her? I don't know. Any advice I could give her might have changed the course of my life. It hasn't been perfect, but it's mine. I've been hurt, I've made mistakes, I've wronged people and been wronged. But in the end, the sum total of those choices led me to who I am today. The choices made me the woman my husband fell in love with, and the woman who fell in love with him. Those choices made me the friend that I am, and gave me the wonderful relationships that I have. Maybe I could change it all and get a different (better?) result, but I'm not sure I'd risk it. Maybe I would have been richer, or thinner, or had a better career. Maybe. But in the end, I'll be content to have just been me.
  • xoxoBarbieGirlxoxo
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    "At your age, you're gonna have a lot of urges. You're gonna wanna take off your clothes and touch eachother.. But if you touch each other you WILL get chlamydia... and die.."

    love mean girls <3