5 Things I Wished I Knew in My Teens

Teenage years are stressful and chaotic. Often, we spend them being too hard on ourselves, with unrealistic expectations of ourselves or others.

Looking back, do you see the things you could have done differently while growing up? Do you have any regrets? If you could advise a teenager today, what advice would you give?

Here are 5 things that could have eased our teenage angst that you wished you knew.

1. Failure Isn’t a Sign of Weakness

Failure means you are a loser, your life is over, and you will be eternally poor. That is every teen’s belief. Ha!

Instead of being discouraged by failing, you wish your adolescent self knew that failure helped shape your character. It developed you and made you strong. In fact, failure is a priceless gift.

2. You’re Never too Young to Invent

It is a myth that you can only create something after you have studied for years and learned about the world and business. Not all successful people were A students; many chose entrepreneurship and never looked back.

So, don’t let your youth impede your ambitions. Believe in yourself and your abilities and start something today. Don’t be sabotaged by your insecurities or others’ opinions.

3. Start Investing

Looking back, when you think of the thousands you spent on frivolous things, do you cringe? Adults should tell every teen to start investing. Saving isn’t for older people only.

Teenagers should learn about budgeting, how money is earned, and be taught its value. Most of all, they should know that emergencies happen, and it helps to be financially prepared for them.

4. Think Positively

As an adolescent, we often saw the worst in every situation. The youth will benefit from learning about the law of attraction, not the romantic type, but the one where you reap what you sow.

In other words, what we think is what we become, so by thinking positively, we will achieve success.

5. Love Yourself, Love Your Body

You may not believe it now, but one day you will love yourself for who you are. You will realize that the body which once embarrassed you — its shape, acne-prone skin, and clumsiness — was just a passing phase.

The adult you will accept that you are beautiful in your different proportions even if you are not perfect.

The things we bashed ourselves over in our teenage years look super petty now, but they frustrated and terrified us at the time. Let us use our experience to educate a teenager and help them deal with their current situation.