Hustling

-Hone in on what you love doing right now and don’t stop doing it. Anything like painting, theater, reading, etc. will become grounding activities as you grow older, and you’ll find it imperative to stick to your roots.

-The best thing you can do is live for you. Not for anyone else. Let people guide you but don’t ever let them overrule you. You make yourself, so ensure that the you you’re creating is authentic.

-Don’t wait until you do so and so to feel ready for something else. Keep active plans to get to your goals.

-Don’t talk to anybody romantically until you know who you are first. People won’t be able to connect with you on that level if you can’t first connect with yourself. Also, don’t bother “holding” anyone down but yourself. People are fickle, you exist until you don’t.

-When we transition from girlhood to womanhood, most of the time we still hide behind “older” people because we see them as more knowledgeable. You have to let that idea go. Adults are just as stupid as kids, except they can legally drink. Don’t be afraid to put your voice out there, even if it opposes seniority.

-Learn how to create and cultivate friends that genuinely care for you. Those people that barely text you or forget about you when events come up are not your friends. Don’t take bullshit from them because you don’t want to be lonely.

-Learn moderation. Partying, drugs, sex, etc. all become more prevalent as you grow older and there’s nobody to tell you to stop but yourself. Don’t become an alcoholic because you didn’t wanna seem like a drag to some drunkhappy friends.

-Don’t wait until later to start building a financial foundation for yourself. Get a good savings account now, adopt a budgeting method, look into investing. Go to seminars and conferences about money even if you’re the youngest person in the room. You will be lightyears ahead of your peers.

-Find value in slightly older friends. They’ll show you what you shouldn’t do and help prepare you for your future. It’s how I know the majority of the things I do.

-Avoid quick gratification. It’ll satiate you for a while but you will still be hungry for something better afterwards.

-Being alone is important. I highly recommend living alone before you get roommates (if that’s financially affordable) because you learn not to base your identity off of other people’s belongings. Our homes become an extension of us. You need to learn how to be independent and how to cultivate your space free of others’ opinion. You need to cook naked in the morning and dance in your living room at night. It is a feeling of freedom that is irreplaceable, and it’ll be one you always remember if someone tries to make you dependent on them. Outside of your living space, go to museums and festivals and operas alone. Have fun. Make new friends. Realize that you shine just fine all on your own. You are not meant to be hidden behind other personalities in your friend group all the time.

-Everything you do, learn how to do it well. And then learn how to turn that well into damn near perfect. Always strive for the best when your work is representing you.