Dear 16-year-old Liv

Dear 16-year-old Liv,

     How are you doing? Guess what? You're in your 30s now and you are nowhere near where you thought you would be. But here's one good news, you are finally happy. It took a while to get there. You have made a lot of mistakes in your youth but by God's grace, he lead you down this path to a life that is correct.


     You know what though? You could have hastened this process if you had only learned your lessons early on. I thought I would try and save you the unnecessary pain by summarizing the lessons life has thrown my way:

1. Be patient. Know and understand that there is a certain ebb and flow in life that every stage in your life is meant to teach you something. Don't rush into things. Don't try to grow up too fast. You have your whole lifetime to be an adult. Enjoy being a student, a teenager and a daughter first.
2. Be humble. You are not as smart as you think you are. There are people smarter than you , prettier than you, richer than you or more qualified than you are. These are not things that set you apart from other people. Look God has blessed you with a lot. But this is not something that you have to boast about. As Jeremiah 9:24 states: "Rather, let the one who boasts, boast in this: that he understands and knows me, " that should be your focus. Know that you have to treat people better. Know that often times you would need the help of other people. 
3. Pray. Yes I know you're a teenager and you can't imagine ever being weak or needing anything you can't achieve. You are so lucky to have had a blessed childhood.You need God in your life. It may seem cool and smart to dabble in tarot and to be an atheist but look inside your heart and you know what you really believe in. 
4. Benefit from the wisdom of the people around you. This is related to being humble. Know that the people around you are put there by God to bless and guide you. Soak in everything they can teach you. Learning from their experiences and their mistakes will save you the pain of having to go through. This includes your parents, specially your mom...listen to your mom. 
5. Cultivate relationships. There is nothing sadder in life than being alone. We were meant to reach out to others, to touch other lives and to be touched by other's lives as well. This is how we grow, this is how we bloom. 
6. Don't compare yourselves to others. You cannot and should not look at what others have or what others have achieved unless you want to make sure that they have enough so you can help them. You are unique. Your experiences, your life, your journey cannot be compared to others. Don't try to keep up with others as well. Live within your means. 

Love, 

31-year-old Liv

p.s.

Blogger friends feel free to write your own 6 things to say to 16-year-old you. =)