If you could go back & tell the teen-of-you

[loveisland]

If you could go back and tell the teenage you some life lessons you have now learned the hard way what would you say?
I wish I could go and shake the teenage me and say "that older boy is abusing you, please run a mile"

Don't marry the first man that asks. In fact don't even get into a relationship with him. You are worth so much more than that.

Don't spend 20 years pining for 'the one that got away' and don't forget why you dumped his arse the first time around...

Live your life for a few years, earn money as a single woman, have your own flat/share, be independent. Then think about a long term partner. Have more fun!

Don't drift into things as a follower, be a leader of your own life.

Don't worry about those stupid bitches. Hold your head up high and be you. You don't need their approval.

Exercise!

Stay in France, don’t ever come back.

You’re right about not wanting to be a parent. You won’t change your mind, so stick to listen politely to any who tries to tell you otherwise and IGNORE.

Go for the professional career. You’ll get there and you’ll be good at it, but University will change how people see you. You will leave your home town behind, and, one day, when you go back you will tell someone you grew up there and they will reply “you don’t sound like it”.

Buy shares in Apple, Google & Facebook.

It's not you. You're pretty cool. You'll work it out.

Learn to drive. Do not get a credit card. Do not take a loan to pay off the credit cards.
Don't be talked into a sexual relationship when you're not emotionally ready.

Don't let your parents dictate your life choices, you'll end up with serious mental health issues. Don't let their prejudice affect how you see yourself. Take a risk and follow your dreams, they are not as unrealistic as your parents would have you believe. Doing things their way will leave you miserable and stressed.

Dump your useless boyfriend, he will mean you waste 4 years of your precious youth waiting for him to bother getting out of bed to see you. He constantly cheats on you, and will rape you when you are unconscious after a party.

Don't smoke, don't take drugs to block out the misery.

Tell someone about your eating disorder. Get help.

Prioritise your own happiness, fuck everyone else.

Don't give up the job you love for a man. Ruined my career.

Ditch the loser boyfriend, yes he means it and would dump you if you don't sleep with him. This is not a good reason to lose your virginity to him.

Make sure you have ditched him way (years) before you go to Uni. Sow a few more wild oats while you are there. Don't always be the good one, have more fun.

Don't let boys have so much control over your life and concentrate on school. When you break up with someone STICK TO IT. Do your A levels, not college. Get away from your mother and adoptive family soon as. Report the abuse. Don't ever get a catalogue account.

Not sure teen me would listen but I’d tell her that she actually doesn’t have to be some loser drug addict her whole life and that she should plan for an eventuality where she grows out of it and becomes boring and conventional.

Sadly I can imagine myself reacting to that by self sabotaging even more to punish her future self for being uncool and such a “normie”.