Pass it on: Pieces of advice

Photo courtesy of Nick Ensing.

This is not an ‘I told you so’ speech. I have no right to say that– at all. But, as senior year comes to an end, I have realized I received valuable advice over the years that maybe I should have listened to…

Starting with the first and quite possibly most cliché piece of advice: be yourself. However, don’t feel stressed or pressured to know exactly who you are, as we are all still figuring it out. Even our parents go through midlife crises and are still in the midst of it. The things you enjoy or excel at will eventually shape you into who you will be, so don’t rush it.

Something that goes along with being yourself is surrounding yourself with like-minded people, or friends that 

make you a better person! I remember adults telling us since elementary school that your best friend may not be your best friend your whole life. I used to scoff at that because “my BFF is just that, my best friend forever.”

But, I get it now and it actually isn’t a bad thing. The point isn’t to warn everyone of losing their best friend, it is just them saying, “if you’re no longer growing together, then you might be growing apart…” and that’s okay.

High school is four years full of pressure from every direction: parents, teachers, friends and social media. A certain amount of the right pressures is healthy, as it drives us and gives us motivation, but it can also swallow and consume you.

Don’t let it! Don’t take everything so seriously and keep in mind that high school is NOT the “real world” or the end of the world either. Focus, have fun and don’t ever lose sight of the rest of your life that is still yet to come.

Advice comes in many forms and from many different people. Here is a father’s words of wisdom about advice. Photo courtesy of Nick Ensing.

The last piece of advice doesn’t really seem like advice because you do it all day everyday, but this one word has saved me personally many times: breathe.

In any situation in life, taking a couple deep breaths will help, I can almost promise. It can clear your head, relieve tension in your chest and even reset your emotions.

Life is a long ride and nobody can endure it on their own. Advice is a valuable tool, and I know I appreciate it a lot more now that I can reflect back on all of the times that maybe I should have listened..