AIBU To ask what you would tell a younger you?

[Diel]

I stumbled upon a photograph of me as a teenager. It got me wondering what I wish I could have known then.

Don't be so flattered by male attention...it doesn't make you special unless it is the right attention.

Plan a little bit more for the future

You are as good as anyone else. Don't apologise for being you.

Enjoy the freedom of being young.

What would you say?

Do not waste 3 years of your youth on that man. He is NOT the only person who can love you. He is too old and you really don't have much in common.

Nobody else is paying as much attention to any of your faults as you are.

Chill.

Stop wasting your 20s desperate for a man. Enjoy being you and having your life. If the right man comes along, great.

Start saving earlier.

Stop spending most of the weekends in your 20s hungover. Your waistline and wallet will thank you.

Get out of the way, kid.

And you have far more qualities than just being an exam passing machine. And in the end they will be far more important. Nurture them.

Don’t get married so young

Be confident enough to fulfill your potential.
Ignore what other people think

Appreciate your family while they are still here

Don’t worry. You will get back together with the love of your life, and you will be happy.

Don’t listen to your parents. They mean well, but they know all about the kind of life you will lead. You don’t need their approval.

Aim higher, you have talents. Be more confident and trust yourself.

And finally : yes, your instincts are right. Get stuck in and buy a load of houses to let.

Stop truanting you fool, it won't solve your problems. Don't listen to your mother, she won't kill herself if you leave. Go to university. Get away, be free.

God I wish I could have heard this advice.

Put more effort into your love life now, it’ll be a lot easier now than in your 30’s where they’re all taken.
Don’t trust anyone completely.
Don’t expect others to care about you as much as you care about them.
Save more money
Get into better eating/exercise habits earlier
Insist on getting a brace while you’re spotty and unpopular anyway- it’s free!
Remember, you’re not that special. Any feelings you’re having, others have had just the same- you’re not alone.
Try and keep some perspective.
Learn how to express yourself, don’t let it build up- it’s unhealthy.

Recognise your strengths!

And yy to putting more effort in with Oder family members- they really won’t be around forever.

You’re not fat
They don’t deserve you
Stop confusing sex with being liked
Don’t start the phd with that idiot supervisor
You’re not fat

Stop buying fast food and use that money to pay off your student loan. You won't remember the fries, but that debt will be on your mind for years.

See the psychiatrist. It will all be fine, you just need a bit of medication to get there.

Relax. You will be fine. You will persevere and the people you listen to now have their interests and failures at heart rather than doing what they are supposed to do and support you but you will win out. Be kind to yourself.

Save your money.
Stop buying magazines, clothes or nothing in particular just use the money to go on holiday....as much as possible.
You are a gorgeous size 14 and that’s not fat.
Don’t skip your A-Levels or drop out of college.
Give the cakes and biscuits a miss.
Start running.
Chill out.

Always trust my instincts.

Don’t start making yourself sick after meals, because it will carry on for 25 years, knacker your back teeth, and mean you have to have surgery for a hernia.
Apart from that, I don’t know what younger Me would listen to - I can’t tell her not to get with the kids’ dad, because the kids wouldn’t be exactly who they are, and that would be awful. I’d tell her not to actually marry him though. And to make more effort with my mum because we only had her for a short while longer, and her mum too.

When they cheat on you, don't forgive them.

They will do it again.

(And again)

(And again...)

Travel, travel, travel.
Don't get married (or if you do, make sure that you are 100% sure and quite old before you do it).
Appreciate that you can party till 4 am, get three hours sleep and still get to work the next day looking fine.
Read poetry.
Have some weekends without alcohol.
Know that your own company is absolutely fine.
Use sunscreen everyday.
Not use alcohol as a social crutch.
Appreciate beauty wherever you go.

Your mother does not have your best interests at heart, get away from her and don't look back. She really doesn't like you at all. The only person she loves is herself
That's all really, but just one more thing stop smoking now.

Take good care of your teeth and body.

Always prioritise your loved ones.

Always trust your instincts.

Have a job that makes you happy.

Don’t be afraid to tell toxic people to f**k off - you do not need them in your life.

The number of people saying that their younger selves worried about weight/appearance truly says something about the society we live in.

Mine would be:
Get help for anxiety more quickly, don't spend so much time worrying about what other people think.
Don't give up on a proper career, in fact work much harder towards this whilst still in your twenties and change jobs more often.

Speak out if you are unhappy at work and understand that sometimes how people behave has more to do with themselves or politics than you.
Do buy the London flat and as early as possible.
Do have a third child - she completes your family.

Get some Botox before the wrinkles arrive- you have dehydrated skin and you can't avoid the wrinkles!!

Fuck the sexy and tattooed army helicopter pilot for longer and ignore the loser Motorcross rider.

Marry someone wealthy if you can- life is so much nicer with cash (we have cash but I work in a job that I hate to get it)

Other than that I'm pretty happy with my younger self- I worked out, are okay, had lots of great sex, didn't marry too young or too old.

I'd maybe say to my 2 years ago self- stop eating all the crap and work on your Diastasis Recti- but the same applies to me now!

That sounds really tough going. What am amazing person you are to keep going

hello Loving you’ve got some great times ahead!
Enjoy it all!
Btw pack in the fags and be aware of the amount of shite you eat, other than that you go girl!