What Would You Tell Your Kid Self?

It’s a brand new year, and this year, you’re going to be wiser. If only you’d started earlier! If you could send a text back to your kid self, what wise advice would you offer?

I asked my Advisory Board of SYWM (Smart Young Women and Men) this, and it boils down to four things:

1. Take A Chance

Jennifer H: “Take more risks—they will push you beyond your comfort zone, and that's not a bad thing.”

Brittany: “It’s okay to take chances and make mistakes. Everything happens for a reason, and nobody is perfect.”

2. Take A Beat On Relationships

Matt: “Remember, people don't change. And when someone shows you who they really are, believe them.”

Brittany: “Jealousy is evil, and there is no need for it if you meet the right guy.”

Joey: “Be nicer to your parents. They're…looking out for your best interests, they don't want to have to watch your life ruined. Learn some family value and be less disinterested in those who care about you. Their tactics might be crazy, but their hearts are in the right place.”

Emily: “Be less worried about what other people (think) and be a bit less of an eager beaver around people that (you) deem to have social currency. No one is cool in high school. And if they are, they're either blooming early or they're lying.”

3. Take it Slow—But Study Along The Way

Jennifer H: “Don't take yourself so seriously. Study hard, work hard, and also enjoy life. Travel more, explore unique places.”

Scott: “ (Don’t) sweat the small stuff. (Don’t) worry so much about what people think of you. Embrace what comes to you naturally. Study and keep your grades up!”

Rachael: “Slow down. There is so much time to be responsible and grown up. You need to enjoy being a kid while you can!”

4. Take It Easy On Yourself: You’re Not Weird

Elizabeth: “You aren't weird, you're just right. There's no way you will ever look like them, just be healthy.”

Jennifer K: “When you're growing up, you just think everything you're into is so weird. It's so easy to feel worthless and to beg and plead for others’ attention—or worse, to try to shutdown what makes you special. Someday, all of those people you compare yourself to will make their long journey to the middle, and in the meanwhile, you might end up the one that people compare themselves to. You just never know when the roles will change.”