As you start getting older and looking back into distant memories of your youth, it becomes a lot clearer on what you wish you had or hadn't done.
I like to believe that you shouldn't have any regrets in life, but unfortunately most of us do.
When I look back to when I was in high school and even college I cringe to the point of sweating about the things I used to wear, what I looked like and things I used to get up to.
That being said I laugh a lot more at those things because that was who I was at that point in my life.
Oh I do love memories.
I remember in high school I used to wear my hair constantly in a bun where I would use butterfly clips to spike the ends of my bun out *covers eyes*. And when I wasn't doing that I was running through the school corridors singing my head off to Shakira's 'Whenever, Wherever', forging my parent's signatures on a get out of jail PE note or secretly eyeing my crush up across the yonder. Ha.
College, held the best times for me. I LOVED it so much! That's when I got my first proper boyfriend, fell in love, had sex for the first time (yes, I was 18, I was no hoe), made some amazing friends, skipped lessons, played football with the lads, had chicken wrap's without the wrap (don't ask). Bought and ate so many Woolworths Pick N Mix's until the point of vom, getting drunk and being scared of the 'evil doll', college bashes (always eventful), eyeing up a lot more hot guys (FitBen), singing Fleetwood Mac in 'the room' and re-creating Little Britain with McBri. There was so much laughter it's unreal. The list is gigantic.
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| Photo quality is shocking this was like 10 years ago. Ouch. |
Looking back to 10 years ago, what would I tell myself from what I know now?
A hella lot of things I'll tell you that for free!!
If my 18 year old self was sat in front of my pale face right this second this is what I would tell Leya 'McMouth' Hutton.
1. Have faith in yourself, you're one of the brighter crayons in that Crayola box and never forget that. Don't let others put you down. Those human's are called bullies.
2. Don't be in a hurry to grow up and be an adult, adult life is hard. Doing homework and worrying what you're going to wear to the next school disco is a drop in the very big ocean compared to adulthood. Treasure it whilst you can. Dance in the rain, play in the mud and stay young.
3. Boys are not the be all and end all. Yep, you're going to get your heart broken, you're going to get rejected and that's by the guy that you thought was "the one". He isn't, you're going to one day fall in love with the guy you're meant to be with. Go with the flow because fate takes you to a million different places. I am still trying to deal with this now, I have been single for almost 7 years and the rate I am going my baby is going to come from a test tube. I didn't think that was ever going to happen. FML.
4. Face your fears, do the things that scare you most. I never did that in regards to getting on an aeroplane and now I am going to have to be highly drunk or drugged up to go to a different freaking country. Yeah thanks for that.
5. Stop over thinking. I constantly over think EVERYTHING and it's annoying as hell. Just listen to me 18 year old self, over thinking leads you to the point of no return. DON'T DO IT.
6. Don't stress over people that really don't matter to you! I get infuriated with some things I see, read and hear to the point I can feel my blood boiling. *Just think of my blood in a pan on the highest heat... Not simmering... More like popping away like a volcano.* - Get the idea? It's a no no. They don't deserve your time, just forget about it and move on, even if you do want to smack them in the throat! :)
7. Haters are going to hate. I care about what people think of me and I really wish I didn't. I do now though get to the point where you either take me as I am or watch me as I go. Not everyone is going to like what you wear, how you speak, what you look like. Deal with it because you will have bigger fish to fry let me tell you. Keyboard warriors and basic bitches... Nobody got time for that!
8. Take risks. I am now doing it in later life (okay I am only 28 but still the time is ticking, the leaves are falling, the ships are sailing. "You get the drift") and it's not frickin easy. If you are offered things... "TAKE THEM". This goes back to points 1 & 4.
9. Accept compliments. I am so bad at taking compliments it's unreal, having self doubt is draining. Someone compliments you, accept it and when you're having a bad day, pull that bad boy out of your pocket and love yourself. Be you, be free!!
10. Listen to your parents advice. Every kid will always hear those dreaded and damn right monotonous words "you will regret it, mark my words. Don't make the same mistakes as I did". When you are 18 those words mean nothing to you, you want to experience everything. Make those mistakes. Fine. Just don't be a dick and disregard everything that has been said to you because 9/10 they are correct in their advice. I have learnt the hard way a few times.
11. Embrace your smaller boobs. The boob job idea was never a fool proof plan, especially as now I love the fact they are smaller. I can wear pretty much anything without having to worrying about nip slip.
12. University isn't all that. For me it was a waste of time. I have some amazing memories but those memories won't get you your dream job, neither does your degree.
13. Get that brace. I now have a slight over bite through sucking my thumb and I HATE it. I cannot be pouting in my wedding photo's. Get me those Invisalign's pronto.
14. You're cool, people are going to copy you! My pet peeve is people copying me. I am original but not ordinary. Anything but ordinary in fact and I have the tattoo to prove it ;). 18 year old self, embrace it because lets face it, those who have no imagination feed from your creativity. See it as you're helping those in need! Ha.
15. Cry less, nobody deserves your tears, especially boys and needless haters.
16. You don't have to do what everyone else is doing. Marrige, kids and a home before you're 21, that's not for everyone at that point in their lives. If I had a pound for every time I have heard someone say to me "shouldn't you have a boyfriend/kids by now?" I would be super rich. Don't tell me what to do. I will do it all in my own time when it's right for ME!
17. Stop trying to plan everything out. Life doesn't work that way most of the time. Things happen for a reason and I am a strong believer in that. You plan most of your life out, it's never going to work. Nothing ever goes to plan... Well apart from the fact you will have a shitty period every month. Unless you're pregnant that is, and I for one am not.
18. It's not the end of the world. "Nobody died". Dust your pretty self off and try again.
19. Practice saying "no" more. The amount of times I have done things to please others is endless. Sometimes you need to do things for you and you only. Put yourself first.
20. Trust your gut instinct. It never fails, if something doesn't seem right act upon your intuition. It also works for positive factors, if something seems like the right thing, think like Nike and "just do it".
Love
L.
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