5 things i'd tell my high-school self

21 January 2015

since i teach high school, i see teens every day who are lightyears ahead of where i was as a gawky high schooler. they know how to apply eye liner, they are trendy (on our dress-down days when they don't have to wear a uniform!) and it seems like they don't need any advice for teens...but sometimes i see them falling into the same traps that i fell into when i was their age. there's so much pressure on young people to look good, get good grades, etc! (and now that i'm in my 20s, the pressures have just changed shape a little.)

so, here's a list of things i wish i could have told myself in high school:

//1// don't waste money on stupid name-brand clothes because no one remembers what you wore in high school.

//2// instead, save money from every paycheck. that lifeguarding job at the old folks' home? that'll pay for alot, if you save consistently!

//3// always wear your retainer so your teeth don't shift.

//4// be kind to everyone. stop caring what others think, and act like Jesus. don't brush someone off because you're worried that someone will judge you for being friends with them, or because they're annoying.

//5// when you start to worry about something, picture yourself 40 years from now. will what's stressing you out even matter then? probably not. so, suck it up and trust God :)

what advice did you wish you had in high school?