Last weekend I went out to celebrate my friends 30th birthday, it was great to catch up, share news and reminisce about school and the life we had together. It got me thinking though; although my journey shaped me as a person there are some things that I wish that I had known when I was at school and that now at the age of nearly 30 I am very aware of…
1. Wear whatever you like. It is so easy at school to be swayed by the fashion of the week but actually there is nothing better than being yourself, so wear what you like and embrace being you.
2. Learning is cool. I was a little swot at school and loved to learn but always felt a little guilty as it was considered geeky to want to pay attention and get good grades. Now I wish I hadn’t cared at all and had delved further into the learning process.
3. Be who you want to be. This is the big one. Don’t feel under pressure to bow to what your peers do, follow your path, follow your dreams and stay true to yourself.
4. And similarly …. Go for the career you want. Don’t listen to people who say you can’t achieve this, aim for the stars! It is your life and your destiny. The world is your oyster, all you have to do is grab it.
5. Don’t obsess about wishing you were taller, shorter, thinner, fatter. These things don’t really matter and can’t be changed. Concentrate on loving yourself and being the most awesome version of you.
6. Look after your body. You only get one so concentrate on that, don’t abuse it, care for it and your life will be all the richer for it.7. Use an electric tooth brush. It’s a small thing but don’t take for granted those pearly whites, look after them and buy the tool to do it!
8. Exams aren’t everything. For some career paths you may need to attain certain grades and it’s important to do the best you can, but once you’re out of the education system itself passion and commitment can get you far further than a grade on a piece of paper.
9. Love what you do, money is secondary. Chances are you’re going spend most of your days at work so you might as well really enjoy it! Money may be able to make the hours away from work more enjoyable but if you love what you’re doing every single day then that becomes less important.
10. One life, live it. We only get one chance at life. Never settle for second best, never allow others to make you unhappy or settle for a future that isn’t the one you want. There will be inevitable set-backs on the way, there will be disappointment and temporary unhappiness. But unhappiness should ONLY be temporary and never an accepted norm.
