10 Things I Would Tell My Younger Self

They say between the age of 17-26 you really start to ‘find yourself’. Bit of a cringe statement, I know. I’ve heard this statement being thrown around a lot this past year while I’ve been travelling, ‘I’m trying to find myself’ used as an excuse to spend endless nights drunk in hostels. Truth is, these are some key stages of our lives, in which we make pretty big decisions that help shape us as a person and ultimately we are finding ourselves, right?

So, here we are (in no particular order as they say)... 10 things I'd tell my younger self:

1. Self confidence will bring you more success than botox will. Looking to your appearance for happiness is not the way forward. It will make you feel good for a short period, but I would encourage looking for other areas of your life for something more sustainable. Self confidence is the key to success.

2. Make time for your family. Appreciate them and be grateful for everything they do for you. They won’t always be there so don’t forget to spend time with them. Nobody will ever love you like they do.

3. Your mental health is as important as your physical health- look after yourself. There is no shame in admitting you are feeling low, unhappy or lost. Having good mental health is incredibly important and fortunate so you deserve to have it.

“Self confidence will bring you more success than botox will”

4. What is for you won’t go by you. This is something my grandparents told my parents, my parents told me, and now I’m telling you. If something is meant to be it will happen. This doesn’t mean you sit and wait for it to happen, not at all, you still have to work hard for it. But it means if it’s meant to happen to you it will, just maybe not exactly when you want it too. If it’s meant to be it will be.

5. Be kind to everyone. You don’t know what they are going through. It may seem like fun to join in on bitchiness and gossip. But remember, anyone who is prepared to do it with you is definitely prepared to do it behind your back as well. So if you wouldn’t like it said about you, don’t say it about someone else.

6. Laughter is everything. The ability to laugh through difficult moments and challenging parts of life will relieve the stress and anxiety that come with them. After all, they do say laughter can cure anything.

“If it's meant to happen to you it will, just maybe not exactly when you want it too.”

7. Stop comparing yourself to others. No matter how much you think you want to look or be like someone else, you are perfect the way you are. Everyone's path is different and we will all do things in our own time. Focus on your own journey.

8. Chill out and let it go. Nothing is worth holding a grudge over. Be the bigger person. I’m not saying you have to be friends with the person or even tolerate them ever again but nothing is worth losing sleep over. So let it go.

8. Life is short. Remember to have fun. Do everything you want to do when you get the opportunity to do it. Life is way too short to waste any moment of it unhappy.

10. Find your happiness. Nobody knows from the start what makes them happy. Everyones happiness or happy place is different. Once you stumble across what makes you happy, you’ll wonder why you never pursuerd it sooner.