What would you say to your 18-year-old self?

[bearlyactive]

This has probably been done before, but a group chat of mine was talking about this earlier and I didn't know what to say!

What would you say?

And don’t wait until your 30 to have kids they are awesome

Go to a proper university. Don’t move back to Cornwall

Don't get fat.

Don't bother being or doing anything. You will just fuck it up like normal.

Enjoy every minute - oh you are!

Save some money if you can
Rest as much as you can. Your life is busy especially once you hit 40.
Do a bit more regular exercise

Don’t be so frightened of everything. Ask for help if you need it - people won’t think bad of you.
Be nice to your family - especially your little sister. You will outlive them all.
Don’t mistake sex for affection.

It isn't you, your mother's a narcissist.
You will never please your mother.
You are beautiful and your mother should never have told you you were too plain to wear pink.
Relax and stop fretting.

LTB
Do a different degree
You’re so much braver than you think.

Don't let your f**d up child hood ruin your adulthood.

Remember to buy some chewing gum when you take an E

YES! @Chickenkatsu

Get married!! And also save like hell for 2020 because it’s going to be one shit year!

You're right, conventional education is not for you, and you will be fine. Oh and do not fall in love with that bloke in 2002, he's pure evil.

"Work on passing your driving test asap" and "go back to the GP about your irregular menses and don't let them fob you off this time".

Aww, I'd want to reassure her that you don't need an extraordinary life to be happy. You don't need a calling or great career to matter.

There's immense liberation in being honest about how you feel & you can still have a good relationship with people who have fundamentally different rights than you.

Be grateful, follow your heart & continue to enjoy the little simple Pleasures in life. In the end they're all you want and all that really matters.

I'm probably a bit late for this thread but, looking back, at 18, when your parents decide you should go to a secretarial college in London that was chock full of debutantes that had never heard of your home town and you hated it, that the experience made you the person you are today.

In retrospect, so many experiences I can count from my late teens, that were disastrous on paper, actually built on my confidence and self-growth, so that they became quite essential buildings blocks for me.

In short, I do think that whatever you go through can hopefully grow you as a person. I'm pretty happy with how things have turned out, but I don't think I could have done it without all he late-teen wobbles this were essential IMO for making me who I am today.

Have confidence in yourself! I had terrible self esteem for years and it really held me back.

Now I don’t give a brass farthing and I’m so much happier. 🤣 It’s a shame I didn’t realize this until my 40’s, I’d have made some different (braver) choices career-wise.

Go and get a degree in nursing. Not the diploma. You’ll only end up in 20 years time on a nursing degree course surrounded by 18 year olds and there'll be much less cringey/eye rolling moments if you’re 18 too.

And dump the pretty but possessive boyfriend.

Have more respect for yourself

Study and go to college instead of messing around at school. Don't stay with your boyfriend, enjoy being young and pretty, play the field and sleep around a bit.

Is anyone else thinking about printing this off and giving it to their own teenage children?

You are hot as shit - do NOT feel bad for making the most of it. Also your arse incredible and absolutely not too big so don’t waste a second longer being self-conscious about it.

Appreciate the little things, keep up the hobbies and go do veterinary nursing, you'll end up broke anyway!!!

Forget the shame
Study and go university, you are smart,dont accept dead end jobs and stick at them because you're earning, you dont need to provide for your mum and siblings and take the place of earner provider in place of your deadbeat absent father.
Dont believe the lies of men
Dont have kids,the worry of what's to come will set you on a path of self loathing,depression, suicidal thoughts and undiluted loneliness.
Be happy focus on yourself for a change