1. Mom is always right.
I wish my middle school self could hear me say this right now. My mom has always been there for me even in the teenage years when I wasn’t so nice to her. She always had the right answers and knew what was best for me.
2. Happy girls are the prettiest girls.
No matter what might be happening in your life, you will always feel better when you have a smile on your face. True beauty radiates from happiness.
3. Not everyone is going to like you.
I think almost everyone struggles with this fact, especially if you’re a teenage girl. You could be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world and there’s still going to be someone that doesn’t like peaches.
4. Quality over quantity.
I’d rather have four quarters than 100 pennies. A few good friends are better than a lot of not-so-good friends.
5. Respect yourself first.
It is inevitable for girls to want attention from guys, but in the end no matter how promiscuous you were to get that attention, you will never be the girl that gets respected. Classy girls are the ones that win in the end.
6. Ice cream cures broken hearts.
I’ll be the first to admit that ice cream is my go to comfort food. There’s got to be a secret ingredient in there somewhere that makes our broken hearts feel okay for a minute. To be honest, there was a time in my life where I went through a pint of Rocky Road ice cream in a week for almost 3 weeks. Whoops.
7. Take care of yourself.
It is important that while we’re young we are learning to take care of ourselves mentally and physically. Sure, it’s okay to have a burger and fries every once and awhile. But there is nothing better than running your guts out and eating a salad. Say no to processed foods.
8. It’s okay to cry.
You should never apologize for being emotional. If crying makes you feel better, girl you better cry a river’s worth.
9. Speaking of Disneyland, it really is the happiest place on earth.
No matter how old I am, I will always have an obsession and deep love for Disneyland. I don’t even understand how you couldn’t love this place. It is bursting with happiness and I’m smiling just thinking about it.
10. Zac Efron will always be hot.
I remember the day of the premier of High School Musical on Disney Channel. I put on my best outfit and doused myself in makeup hoping to impress my first love through the television. My 12-year-old self fell in love with him and to be honest that love is still there. Zac, if you ever read this you broke my heart.
11. Live every day like its your last.
This is cliché, but come on. We never know how long we will be on this earth, we aren’t even guaranteed tomorrow. Be grateful, loving, and don’t waste a second.
12. Find something you love to do.
I’m still working on this one, I’ve always thought that there is nothing out there that I am good at, but I know I’m so wrong. It is crucial to explore and try new things and new adventures to find out what it really is that makes you happy. Find something that makes you feel most alive while you’re doing it.
13. Be thankful.
Whether you are religious or not, be thankful for everything you have been given in this world. Personally, I find comfort in saying a prayer every night to give thanks and appreciate what I have. Don’t ever take anything for granted.
14. Sing and dance to yourself in front of the mirror.
Who doesn’t do this? I can’t think of a better way to start my day or boost my self-confidence than to jam to music at the top of my lungs and dance around my room.
15. Popularity doesn’t matter.
It doesn’t matter how many likes you get on Instagram or how many followers you have on Twitter. Facebook Likes mean nothing.
16. Use kind words and never talk badly.
From my experience gossip gets you nowhere. You never know what a person is going through or how they might be feeling. Speak kind words and you will have beautiful lips.
17. Your old Facebook photos from 7th grade will haunt you forever.
I get a reminder on Facebook every day about my memories from five years ago. I cringe every time I read the captions and see the word graphics plastering each picture with horrible edits. But, they are memories and it’s amazing to see how far you’ve come.
18. Your dad will always protect you.
Dad’s can be intimidating and hard to get along with sometimes, but in the end you know they will always be there to protect you from boys, spiders and when your car battery dies.
19. Be accepting.
I saved this for last because this is something I have tried to practice my whole life. Being the one who was different in my society because of my religion was the hardest thing ever. There were times when neighbor kids couldn’t play with my sisters and I because we “didn’t go to church.” I was always taught to accept people no matter how different they might be. The world would be a better place if more people were accepting.