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Dear Teenager:
You are living in a time when being a teen is harder possibly than any time in history so I am writing this because there are things you need to understand about life. I know you think you already know everything but the hard truth is, you don't know much of anything about real life and you won't for another 10-15 years. Sadly, the choices you make today, will effect everything you do for the rest of your life so here are some realities you need to understand.
First stop trying to be someone you aren't. The only person you have to be true to is you and if you let yourself down, you will regret it for years to come. Don't let friends pressure you into becoming someone you don't know.
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You will make mistakes, learn from them, don't repeat them, and forgive yourself. Nobody goes through life with a perfect life and nobody goes through life without screwing up. The greatest lessons you will have are the times you fell and picked yourself back up.
The friends you have today probably won't be friends you keep so stop trying to impress them. People move in and out of your life and you learn who to trust as you go along. Real friends don't leave. Real friends are not jealous. Real friends lift you up not tear you down. Real friends have your back. Real friends love you even when you aren't lovable. Real friends don't judge. Real friends never let time or distance ruin a friendship. They are there when you call and they will come and get you wherever you are.
Fake friends never last. This is something that you will learn over and over in life. You will have people that come into your life for a reason and people who come into your life for a season. Never mistake those who have something to offer for those who are just filling space. The space fillers will be many. Most of the time, they won't really offer anything of lasting worth to your life so move on before they destroy you. Some people will steal your energy and your soul if you let them so DON'T let them!
Fake friends never last. This is something that you will learn over and over in life. You will have people that come into your life for a reason and people who come into your life for a season. Never mistake those who have something to offer for those who are just filling space. The space fillers will be many. Most of the time, they won't really offer anything of lasting worth to your life so move on before they destroy you. Some people will steal your energy and your soul if you let them so DON'T let them!
Stop trying to grow up so fast and enjoy being a kid. There is plenty of time for boys/girls and heartbreak. Almost nobody meets their soulmate in school so stop looking for them. Don't settle for anyone who doesn't deserve you and don't give yourself to someone who doesn't know who they are or why they are with you. You are special. God only made one you. Be true to yourself and cherish your mind AND body. You don't get a second chance at first times. Don't regret someone later that you can walk away from now.
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Have faith in something outside yourself. Believe it or not, you are not the only person in the world who has it tough. The only thing that is going to save you is faith. Faith in God, by whatever name you choose to call Him will get you through the tough times. You are unique and special but you aren't going through anything today that won't get better tomorrow. You aren't going through anything that others haven't survived. You just aren't that different from everyone else walking around doing they best they can to survive. Just survive, somehow, with faith!
Your words matter. Tell the truth and know that as you grow up the only thing that truly matters is your integrity. If something feels wrong don't do it and never lie if you did. Lies only create bigger messes. Lies only make your life worse. Lies, big or little, make you lose trust. Once you have lost someone's trust it is much harder to gain it back. Don't lie and you don't lose trust. Lie, big or little and you may spend years making it up to people. As you grow you will realize that truth is the one thing you always bring to the table. People may not always like the truth but they have to accept it, sooner or later.
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Study hard, grades matter. You will never know how important it is to work hard in school until you try to get a job without an education. Nobody wants to wait tables or work outside in the heat but people do because they didn't apply themselves when they could. Most of them would go back and change that, if they could. Everything you do now in school should be focused on what you want to be when you are older. Not necessarily the career because you may not know that, but the person you want to be. Everything you do now can effect the college you get in to, the friends you meet later, the love you find later. Everything matters. Be the best you today that you can be so that tomorrow you will reap the rewards or learn to like taking out trash and know that janitors don't get paid well.
School isn't real. Nothing that goes on in Junior and Senior High School is what life is about unless you make a mistake along the way that effects your entire life. You have one shot to do the right thing before it is too late. Make wise decisions. Stop worrying about what other people will say and start worrying about the consequences of what you DO. If the consequences are negative, do not do it. Sex leads to babies. Drugs lead to addiction. Not working hard leads to a hard life. Make wise decisions so you are not paying for them for the rest of your life.
Think before you speak. The words that come out of your mouth can not only get you into trouble but they can hurt other people. WORDS MATTER. Mean what you say, say what you mean, and think before you open your mouth. Use your words wisely and choose them well. Don't say things to hurt or threaten other people because you become lesser by stooping to a lower level. Don't use words that are profane or crude because it makes you look ignorant. Don't be disrespectful in your speech because you wouldn't like it if someone was being disrespectful to you. Say things that you want to hear others say to you. Most importantly, if you are angry and going to say something stupid, walk the heck away. You will never regret walking away but you will regret saying the wrong thing and hurting someone.
Trust and respect your parents. They are doing the best they can. Believe it or not, you didn't come with an instruction book. If you are in trouble you should be relying on Mom and Dad to help you find answers. I am not promising they aren't going to be mad at things you do wrong, they will. If you do something really stupid your parents are probably going to be really mad. Learning to accept your groundings, loss of phones, TV's and fun times gracefully is one of the toughest lessons in life. Your parents are not doing it to be mean. Life has consequences and your parents didn't cause the consequence, you did by your actions. Remember, Your parents want the best for you and they have already lived through all the feelings that are eating you up from the inside out. You may not understand this today but you will someday, they are pretty smart. Give them a chance to show you. If they say "No" you should respect them and understand they have a reason for saying that you can't do something. If they say "Yes" you should appreciate the sacrifices they make to give you the things you need and want. Never, for the rest of your life, will anyone love you the way your parents love you. Never, for the rest of your life, will anyone sacrifice so much for your happiness. Never, for the rest of your life, will any people work so hard at showing you the right ways in life. Your parents will make mistakes. Love them anyway because they love you.
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School isn't real. Nothing that goes on in Junior and Senior High School is what life is about unless you make a mistake along the way that effects your entire life. You have one shot to do the right thing before it is too late. Make wise decisions. Stop worrying about what other people will say and start worrying about the consequences of what you DO. If the consequences are negative, do not do it. Sex leads to babies. Drugs lead to addiction. Not working hard leads to a hard life. Make wise decisions so you are not paying for them for the rest of your life.
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| Source |
Think before you speak. The words that come out of your mouth can not only get you into trouble but they can hurt other people. WORDS MATTER. Mean what you say, say what you mean, and think before you open your mouth. Use your words wisely and choose them well. Don't say things to hurt or threaten other people because you become lesser by stooping to a lower level. Don't use words that are profane or crude because it makes you look ignorant. Don't be disrespectful in your speech because you wouldn't like it if someone was being disrespectful to you. Say things that you want to hear others say to you. Most importantly, if you are angry and going to say something stupid, walk the heck away. You will never regret walking away but you will regret saying the wrong thing and hurting someone.
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Trust and respect your parents. They are doing the best they can. Believe it or not, you didn't come with an instruction book. If you are in trouble you should be relying on Mom and Dad to help you find answers. I am not promising they aren't going to be mad at things you do wrong, they will. If you do something really stupid your parents are probably going to be really mad. Learning to accept your groundings, loss of phones, TV's and fun times gracefully is one of the toughest lessons in life. Your parents are not doing it to be mean. Life has consequences and your parents didn't cause the consequence, you did by your actions. Remember, Your parents want the best for you and they have already lived through all the feelings that are eating you up from the inside out. You may not understand this today but you will someday, they are pretty smart. Give them a chance to show you. If they say "No" you should respect them and understand they have a reason for saying that you can't do something. If they say "Yes" you should appreciate the sacrifices they make to give you the things you need and want. Never, for the rest of your life, will anyone love you the way your parents love you. Never, for the rest of your life, will anyone sacrifice so much for your happiness. Never, for the rest of your life, will any people work so hard at showing you the right ways in life. Your parents will make mistakes. Love them anyway because they love you.