Advice you'd give to someone younger than you?

[chocovelvetcake]

What advice would you give to someone who's younger than you? I'll go first: It's totally okay to make mistakes when you're learning something new. I often find myself struggling to come to terms with this as I entered adulthood. It seemed like the older I got, the more pressure I felt to become the "perfect" adult in order to function in our society. Sincerely, a 21 year old perfectionist.

 

[Chris]

• Take your education seriously.
• Learn to cook sooner than later.
• Don't spend money recklessly.
• Don't stay in a bad relationship just because you've been together for years or you don't think you can do better.
• If your job sucks, don't quit right away, but do start applying to new ones - it is easier to find a new job while already employed.
• No one has it all together 100% of the time.
• It's okay to like "childish" things.
• It's okay to feel overwhelmed and cry.
• You don't need to be liked by everyone.
• Your mental health matters.

 

[Seastar]

You're not actually fully grown at 18, no matter what society tries to tell you. Try to not be too hard on yourself if you're struggling with unrealistic expectations from other people.

 

[QueenCobra]

—Eat fiber.
—If you feel like you have to change to be someone’s friend or romantic partner, look for someone else.
—You don’t have to please everyone, because not everyone is worth pleasing. For example, I don’t want to associate with people like Trump or Andrew Tate, so I don’t care if they or their fans dislike me.
—Don’t compare yourself to others. Whether it’s because they’re rich, smart, whatever. Who cares if someone learned to drive at 16, and you’re still struggling at 20? Everyone learns at their own pace, and you don’t know what help someone has had along the way.
—Save money for what you REALLY need and want.
—Volunteer and help others. I do this with cats. (It doesn’t have to be cats, though.)
—Take care of your teeth.
—Surround yourself with positive people.
—Have one mindless hobby that can help you de-stress not just from work, but also other hobbies that use up a lot of brainpower and/or energy.
—Smoking can ruin your health. My grandma has lung cancer from this, but the PSAs also used to scare me.
—My mom would say “It doesn’t matter what people look like— as long as they have a good heart.” Don’t judge people’s looks, and don’t judge your own, either. I have wasted too much time worrying what some hypothetical losers would think of me.
—You will fail constantly, more often than you succeed, but if you keep trying, you will achieve something. Maybe not what you dreamed of, but something that will make you happy. And happiness is more important than success.

 

[rocketspruggs]

☆ Don't give up.
☆ Don't rush relationships.
☆ Make your dreams a reality.
☆ You don't need to be perfect, everyone has flaws.
☆ Don't smoke or drink.
☆ You're never too old to express interest in what's considered, "childish".
☆ Spend your money wisely.
☆ Make peace, not war.
☆ Your mental health matters.
☆ Be yourself.

 

[Devicho]

I think an oddly specific one I'd say is to let yourself be a little cringe. Obviously, try to read the room a bit if you can so that you don't disrupt serious situations, but I see so many younger people especially in fandom spaces who seem like they're terrified to genuinely like things for fear of judgement, and I feel like they're almost forcing themselves not to have fun as a result. Once you're older, most people aren't really going to care that much so long as you aren't hurting anyone and can be mature as needed.

 

[Suguri]

First and foremost: you gotta believe. Basically that means you should keep going, no matter what obstacles you may come across. I got this from one of my favorite characters and his catchphrase has been following me around for a while now.

Secondly: if something/someone is making you uncomfortable, you should absolutely speak up about it. Depending on the response you may get, it can do you wonders in the long run. If nothing changes, don't let that stop you. Take whatever steps you can; you know yourself better than anyone else.

Ultimately though, it's up to you whether to take this advice or not. If you find that it may be harmful for you, you can leave it be and continue your life as-is. This also applies to anything other people might have told you or will tell you later. As Li'l Petey (from the Dog Man books) once said, "It's your story; you can color it any way you want."
I might come back with more later...I love this thread!

 

[Beanz]

-your opinion matters.

-CONFIDENCE IS EVERYTHING!! but not to the point of arrogance. i know this is easier said than done but i’m somewhat speaking from experience; i used to get bullied a lot in middle school, which i think was because i was quiet and wasn’t the best looking at the time. i used to get angry and i blamed myself, i would think “what do i need to change about MYSELF?” and i used worry too much of what others thought of me. now i realize that it’s not my fault if someone dislikes me for simply existing, it’s not my problem if someone doesn’t like me and i haven’t done anything to offend them. if they’re bullying me, that’s more telling about their character than mine. your mindset is key.

 

[-Raven-]

Don’t wait for others to tell you how to act and don’t assume everyone is mentally mature or that your idea of maturity really applies in the world. It’s important to strive for better but expecting the best from everyone is setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

[Midoriya]

Be your own person, not what someone else wants you to be. I can't tell you how many times I've run into people in life that have tried to forcefully change who I am or get me to change when there was nothing wrong with the person I was in the first place. People suck and will do absolutely anything to try and get you to fit their mold, or they'll discard you. Those people are not worth your time. It's important to aspire to improve yourself, but not at the cost of being someone you're not.

 

[mogyay]

don't go into an overdraft

 

[Neb]

- Do not sign up for college full-time immediately with a specific major in mind. Do part-time classes to start and focus on required courses before settling on a major.
- Be careful who you interact with online, and don't be hurt if people ghost you.
- Respect people's boundaries. Do not text them constantly, but don't forget to check in occasionally.
- Don't give up on the hobbies you loved as a kid. Try getting back into them again, even if it's difficult.
- Start learning foreign languages as soon as you can. You'll regret not learning them sooner.