20 Things I Wish My Younger Self Knew...

In the Tree House: Twenty things I wish my younger self knew

By: Samantha S. Daviss

I am hoping I am only about half way through my life, if not a little bit shy of half way. I want to live a long full life, and be around to see my boys grow old, and to meet my grandbabies. I know at my age, I seem so young to many; but so old to others. But to be honest, I love where I am in life. I am old enough to be taken seriously and not looked at as a kid any more, but not so old that when I talk and spout out my ideas, people think I am losing my mind.

We all say that if “We knew then, what we know now…life would be so much easier.” I couldn’t agree more with that statement. There is so much pettiness that drives teenage girls crazy, and bullying that can ruin a young boy’s life; or just the pressure to be the best athlete, the best student, the best EVERYTHING.

We need to learn to love and accept ourselves for who we are; not what others think of us. So I came up with a partially serious, partially funny list of things I wish my younger self had known; and if I had done these things as a young adult, my life would still have turned out pretty well.

       1)     Don’t be so hard on yourself;
              2)    Love yourself for who you are, not who you think others should love;
       3)   Find your guilty pleasure, and make it your own. Don’t worry what others think about it, because                  remember it’s YOUR guilty pleasure;
       4)   Indulge yourself. Find your Achilles Heel, and act upon it. You don’t have to do it often, but indulge…it          makes life so much more fun;
       5)   Love hard, love true, and love deeply….regardless of the outcome. Your heart may get broken…but            true love is worth the pain;
       6)   If you’re heart gets broken, you won’t die…I promise. Just don’t put walls up, learn to love again…              your true love is truly out there;
       7)    Smell your baby’s head every chance you get. The younger me would have thought this was nuts, but it          is the best smell in the entire world;
       8)       Skinny dip somewhere at least once in your life;
       9)       Have a little wine with your whine time…always make time for your friends and get stuff off your chest;
      10)     Challenge yourself;
      11)     Pack a bag and just take off for a quick weekend away, at least once in your life…without planning it,           without an itinerary, just on a whim;
            12)   Remember who your younger self once was, don’t lose sight of your dreams;
      13)   Stay strong, stay healthy, stay flexible, and start eating right in your 20's…because your family needs               you to be healthy. Start good habits young;
          14)   Buy good bras, good shoes, and good underwear…the rest is just cosmetic;
      15)  Watch the sun set and the sunrise, preferably in the same cycle…while having a great conversation with         someone you care about;
      16)   Have a pet…that unconditional love everyday you come home is priceless;
      17)  Do what you want with your life, not what you think society expects of you;
      18)   Learn to change a tire, change your oil, and to shoot a gun;
      19)  Volunteer (anywhere), but in particular…at a hospital, children’s cancer ward, a VA hospital, or a food        kitchen…you’ll be so appreciative of the gift you’ve been given…a wonderful, healthy life;
            20) Don’t spread a rumor about someone unless you are a good enough friend to pick up the                  phone and ask them if it’s the truth.

You may agree, or completely disagree with any or all of the things I wrote on my list, but if you disagree; take the time to think about what you would have told your younger self if you had been given the opportunity to give a little guidance to that acne-covered, skinny, insecure blob of a teenager we all once were.