Terrific Tuesday-6 Things I Wish I knew Earlier

“We should never regret too much in our lives. However, there comes a time when we realise there are things that, if we had known them earlier, could have benefited us a lot in our younger years.” ~Jenny Marchal

Hearing people saying “Oh, how I wish I was 16 again!” It always makes me think “what the hell are they on?” I don’t know if I want to be sixteen again, my life took a drastic change at thirteen because it meant my having to grow up and be more responsible. It meant no more running around with my brothers, shooting marbles on the street corner, stealing off to the beach for a day of fun in the sun which usually ended in some mischief.

At sixteen there was High School, boys, deciding on your academic the future after high school. Go to college, not go to college! Then came the pressures of gaining ALL the qualifications to get into college. Urrgggghhh!! So I’m thinking my ideal age I would say, is probably between the ages of five and ten. So my wish would be to be any number between those ages. Sure my teenage years were good; high school was fun, but looking back on those years it seems like everyone was suffering from a bit of brain damage. Our attitude towards life was, live and live hard! We gave a new meaning to living in the moment.

Those high school years were strictly a popularity contest and to see how much mischief one can get into without getting caught; deciding which teachers were your favourites and which ones you’d declare bloody war on by making their teaching experience hell.

Ok! Those years were fun from a certain standpoint. We should never regret the choices we made in life, good or bad. However, there are points in our lives when we reflect on certain things and wished we have known then earlier. How often have you said, “I wish I had known this when I was younger?” Wishing that your younger- self, was more enlightened or aware, giving you the advantage of better dealing with certain situations or emotions with a more steady mindset allowing you to quickly move forward.

With this in mind, here are 6 things I wish I had known during my teen years. Though I would imagine my neophyte brain would’ve probably rejected them all.

1. The world is what you make it, don’t blame others for your mistakes!
2. Don’t rule your life by what you think you should or shouldn’t do!
3. Don’t make your problems bigger than they are !
5. Stop assuming what other people think of you!
6. If all else fails, try and try again. Never give up!

I’ve raised my daughters to be free spirited, but during their teen years, I tried reining them in a bit by changing the rules based on my own social challenges and the challenges of those close to me because life seems to go full circle. The challenges my parents faced growing up, though it was a different era, were basically the same as what I had to deal with. My own enlightenment came in my acceptance that personal growth and development can only be attained through self- realisation. They must go through life not being fully aware of situations until a crisis presents itself, it’s the only thing that can lead an individual to the point enlightenment.

So now I just let my daughters be. If they have a question, I give my opinion. Other than that, I just enjoy the show.

Ok! I would go back to my teen years. BUT only if I can go back with the knowledge I have now 😉

~Happy Tuesday