Things I wish someone told me when I was 18

When I was 18, I had it all figured out. My destiny was something that I had planned. I was unaware of the fact that you can never control your destiny. Life places a lot of obstacles in your path and tries to hamper your progress and to reach a designated place, you are coerced to change your path and sometimes this journey can lead you to uncharted territories. We should never underestimate the ability of life to surprise us.

I knew what university I wanted to go to and I knew what career I wanted to choose and I had it all figured out but behind the curtains, life was chuckling with an evil grin.В Little did I know that I was trying to control my life and when you’re in control, you are at a dangerous disadvantage.

Here are some of the things I wish someone would have told me when I was 18.

  1. All I had to do by 18 was preserve my originality

All I had to do by 18 was to be myself, to preserve the little bits of goodness that I had acquired over a span of several years. All I had to do was hold on to hope and not let the imminent future render me heartless and stone cold.

The trick to living forever is not immortality or finding the elixir of youth but living with yourself. Being a person who has that flair, that originality that grants him some sort of pride.

  1. All I had to do by 18 was get scarred and learn how to heal

Teenage years are an emotional mess. You get scarred and this is the time when you start to lose hope and lots of it altogether. You finally come to know that this world can be a terrifying place to live in and trusting someone can shatter your heart into smithereens. – Continue reading on next page


I wish someone would’ve told me when I was 18 that it was okay to get hurt. It was okay to have scars and that these scars shouldn’t change who I was. It shouldn’t change my loving nature. It shouldn’t change the fact that I love knowing people and getting close to them. It shouldn’t stop me from socializing and giving people a chance.

All these scars were meant to do to make me more careful, to teach me lessons and to make me less vulnerable.

  1. All I had to by 18 was to search for a career that I love and explore my passions

When you’re 18, this materialistic world can mislead you. You’re not fully aware of what you’re capable of and your decision-making powers aren’t that great. So, what you do is you look for a career that this society approves. Your family also pressurizes you to pursue a career that will give you financially stability.

I wish someone would’ve told me that if I can’t be a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer, it was okay. It was okay that my talents were something that would make me great and not mediocre and dull.

  1. All I had to do by 18 was take my opportunities and try everything

Nowadays, the youth wastes their time on social media websites. They miss out on experiencing life. There is so much out there that a person can do. Youth is a gift and after your teenage years, you are swamped with responsibilities and it gets hard to really enjoy your life.

Every opportunity that knocks on your day, you should embrace it with open arms. Have your friends asked you to go on a long trip? Just go with them. You might not be able to make these memories again in your life. Do whatever that pops up in your mind and do not let anyone stop you from doing it.В – Continue reading on next page


  1. All I had to do by 18 was to expect little of myself

It wasn’t expected of me to be a president or a mayor of a town. All I had to do by 18 was to have little expectations of myself and don’t think far into the future. A future I have no control over. I had to make the best of what I can.

  1. All I had to understand by 18 was that no success is final and no failure is fatal

Failure is a symptom of success and even If I do gain success, it’s not going to be the last verdict. I will still have to struggle. However, I should rejoice and celebrate and enjoy the moment. When I’m done doing that, I shouldn’t let my potential be wasted by temporary success. I must move on to newer adventures and challenges and take them head on with a firm resolution.

  1. All I had to be by 18 was to be optimistic

Optimism breeds positivity and it is the only way we can add something to this world. We spend our whole lives taking from this world but by being optimistic, we can actually get the chance to add something to the world we have been taking from for years.

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What would you advise to an 18 year version of yourself? Please let us know! Your comments are highly valued!

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