Stuff I've learned from turning 16 and life itself

I'm not that old. If I'm going to be honest, I'm the complete opposite. I'm sixteen. *que melodramatic guitar strumming here* I haven't lived that long, but I have made it past a decade and a half and at some point in history that was probably a feat. So, if you've made it past this point too, congratulations! We're the old people of another century, and this is how I've justified giving advice. 

Maybe I'll laugh at my obliviousness in the future, but right now, I'm at the stage where I'm learning to drive a car, and I'm feeling pretty full of myself.

26 things that I've learned so far

1. Cry when you need to. Cry when you're happy. Cry when you're sad. Hell, cry when you are under a ton of school stress and you haven't eaten in days and Adele just dropped a new song. Crying is normal and sometimes you just need to be a water volcano for a while to be able to be sane.

2. BUT do not, I repeat, DO NOT romanticize depression or anxiety or any other mental illness in that matter. Don't say things like, "Oh my god! I'm soooooo OCD right now". It's not cool, and it never will be.

3. Use your voice even when you're voice shakes. Use your voice even if your opinion is not the most popular. Use your voice even if those close to you don't agree. Your voice is so much more important than you can imagine.

4. Don't eat things that you're allergic to. I don't care how good something tastes, the pain that follows is never worth it (unless you want to get out of something).

5. You will get rejected one too many times for your pride. *cue the rejected song from Zoey 101) Don't wallow in it. It's not worth it. Focus your energy on working towards what you want.

6. Planners are not lame. They keep you super organized and make your stressful life a little less stressful.

7. Don't go after someone in a relationship. Don't flirt with someone who has a boyfriend or girlfriend. Don't trash talk a couple just because you believe they're not right for each other. Just don't do it.

8. Be happy for people -really, truly be happy for them.

9. Celebrity gossip can be interesting, but don't spend too much time wasting your brain cells on it. Half of the stuff you're hearing about is probably rigged, and honestly, why do you want to hear about people pushing on thirty in petty arguments that you probably get enough of in high school.

10. Follow your dreams (I hate myself at how cliche I'm being. I sound like a hallmark card.) If that doesn't work out, play with puppies because that's basically the same thing.

11. Work out. Do some squats and lunges or even go for a run. You will feel so good (BONUS!!) and you'll look good too (DOUBLE BONUS!!!)

12. Fries are always a good idea. I mean, they're basically brain food.

13. Count your blessings not calories. * I'm typing this while shoving honey nut cheerios in my mouth*

14. If you want to understand someone's angsty feelings, go on their tumblr, not their pinterest.

15. Just because something's trendy doesn't mean you should do it. I mean, doctors used to endorse cigarettes and we all know how that ended.

16. Be yourself. Wear the things that you love rather than what's popular. Don't shy away from your interests because they're not necessarily the "in" thing to do. Listen to that metal band and be explore your geeky side. At the end of the day, no one cares; they're too caught up in how the world might see them to notice.

17. Lay off the heat tools every once in awhile. Your hair will thank you.

18. At the end of the day, that one bad grade that may or may not have screwed up the perfect gpa you have had literally your entire life (you can see that I'm still trying to get over it) doesn't matter. Yeah, it stings and yeah, you may think about what you could have done if you could go back and  fix it, but it's over now and all you can do is look ahead.

19. If you can only wear one makeup product, wear mascara-and if you can push it to two, lip balm. It opens your eyes and make you look more awake than you probably are. (If I had to marry a makeup product, it would definitely be mascara)

20. Comfort over cute. Also, if you're going to wear heels, remember to have emergency band-aids and a pair of flats.

21. If you're going somewhere cold, DON'T FORGET YOUR GLOVES. Bring a backup for a backup, if you can. Frozen fingers are the worst.

22. Beyonce is the soundtrack to everything great.

23. A white comforter is cute, but if you like to eat in bed, stains are just waiting to happen. 

24. Stress baking is a real thing (I once -or twice-baked a dozen cupcakes before a final )

25. Accept the privilege you have and help those that don't have the same privilege. If you stand aside and watch, you're just as bad as the hindrance of privilege. 

26. And finally, spread positivity. When you're out in public, smile at the people you pass. When you're talking to someone, be kind. You have no idea what his or her day has been like and you may possibly be able to shed some light from something so simple. 

I hope the rest of your day gives you something to smile about.

Xoxo,

Ankita