top of page

Things your

"18-year-old Self" 

must know

              Teenage days are tough. It is an endless struggle with your immaturity, self-doubts, broken promises. A ruthless battle with or within yourself and you against the world. It is the time where you thought you’re already in the arms where you wanted to be, or you thought that all that you have now is permanent. You thought you already know everything but reality is, you don’t.

​

           Actually, here are the 7 things you should’ve known in your 18th year of existence :

​

                  1. Keep calm, love has no deadline. Blame the fairytales you used to watch and read when you were little that made you supposed at a very young age that life is all about spending a big chunk of your time finding your soulmate. Why not disbelief this perspective and start planning for your future goals instead of merely focusing on how will you find your better-half? If it’s the right time, eventually, love will come to your way. Just sit-back and don’t force yourself. Yes, you should know this by now. Many people realized this when they reached their 20's. You’re a lucky one.

​

             2. Rebellion is so childish. Talking back at your parents, cutting yourself, skipping classes, smoking cigarettes or weeds, drowning yourself in liquor is not cool. Let’s take a moment realizing that. Also, it’s not true that vices like smoking and drinking ease your burden in life, it adds! (Hello, health problems?!)

​

                  3. Your family loves you. Believe it. Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa and the rest of the gang does love you. They may scold you every time but really, it’s for your own sake. Accept that you don’t know everything yet. They may seem not to understand you but they do. They’re once a teenager like you!

​

                      4. Life is precious. Never ever think of killing yourself ever again.

​

                   5. Don’t lose hope. Keep calm. Even though things don’t work out the way you wanted them to be today, someday, they will. Just don’t give-up! And again, never ever think of killing yourself again. Ever.

​

                    6. Always think thrice before doing anything. Before making decisions, ask yourself, “Do I you really have to do this?” or “If I will not do these I might…”. Think about the pros and cons of every side to avoid mistakes that may lead you to regrets.

​

                   7. Spend well. Spend everything well. Don’t waste your time, life, love, money onto something that is not worth it. Say no to procrastination, to over-spending and falling hard. Learn to manage things well. Really, you’re not too young for these mature things. Couple of years from now, realizations from your past years will come.

​

 

    Regrets may come along the way and when that happened, don’t blame yourself. Just breathe in, breathe out and learn from them. Never ever make the same mistakes again. Grow and be mature but, don’t be so hard on yourself. You still have a long way to run and a lot of things to know. Gradually, you will be better than you were.

by: Micah Acaba

Article

bottom of page