Yesterday I turned sixteen. At fifteen I truly did start to learn a lot about myself and who I want to be. I figured today’s blog post could be a recap of the life lessons I learned at fifteen.

1. You will only live today once, make today worth remembering.

You all know the classic saying, YOLO, or “you only live once”. I always used to SAY this, but did I actually live it? Did I really live every day like it could be my last? The truth is, not every day is going to be a good one. we all have sad days, days full of anger or jealousy, but there are also days full of joy, pride, and happiness. No matter how you’re feeling today, make today worth living. Make sure you’re living the lifestyle that makes you happy, and if it doesn’t, make today the day you start to change it. Don’t just go through the motions of each day, LIVE THEM.

2. You can’t and won’t please everyone.

This one has always been a difficult lesson for me to digest. My entire life I’ve been a people pleaser so when someone was upset with me, or had a problem, I tried to fix it. Sometimes this could be an amazing trait in a friendship, but other times it wasn’t. This year was the first year I really understood that not everyone was going to like me and sometimes I couldn’t do anything to fix it.

3. Don’t just be good, be great.

My dad always told my siblings and I to strive to be above average. In school, in sports, and everything else that we put our minds to. Many times I would ask myself, “why do I feel so average?” I would feel smart, but not crazy intelligent, I would feel like a good dancer, but not good enough, and many other examples of just feeling average. So, I made it my mission to work harder than I was before, work harder so I could feel more accomplished, and less average. I learned that I could feel great, without being the greatest person in the room. That was all that mattered.

4. “The hardest thing to do in this world is to live in it” – Buffy Summers

This is huge one. Not only in the last few months, but always. This world can be a crazy place, always a new problem to solve. In this year alone, we’ve had an unimaginable amount of problems that needed to be solved. It’s taught me that living in this world can be a hard task, but you have to be brave and live it. If you want change you have to be the change.

5. You don’t have to be what others want you to be.

This is another classic life lesson letting you know that you don’t have to listen to what society tells you to be. However, being a teenage girl in high school, this was hard to swallow. As hard as one tries to be their own person, sometimes you just feel as if following the leader is easier. I’m here to tell you don’t. Being yourself will attract the people that are meant to be in your life, now and forever.

6. No one is going to remember the small inconveniences.

I am a HUGE over-thinker, always have been. I replay that smallest conversations and exchanges and try to pinpoint what I did or said wrong. I think about how each test and grade will affect which college I go to, if I get a good job after college, and how that will affect my life. I learned this year that those small things that I think are the end of the world will mean nothing in a short period of time. No one should dwell on the small inconveniences, focus on the big conveniences.

7. Don’t follow the light, be the light.

Very similar to #5, this one reiterates that you should never settle for being in the line. Lead the line. Instead of letting others show you what to be, be what YOU want to be. Be the light for other people. Guide them into being their own person just like you.

8. Like One Direction said, live while you’re young.

As students, we are always focusing on the next assignment, the next test, the next grade. We’re told that we only get 4 years of high school and it will go by in a blink of an eye, yet we have to spend so many hours each day stressing over just barely learning the content and passing each course. I’ve always struggled with balancing the work and play of high school but this year I think I’ve realized that if I don’t take each chance to have fun, I’m going to regret it.

9. All you can do is be better than yesterday.

Sometimes, all you can do is strive to take it day by day. As long as you’re aiming to become a better person each and every day, you’re doing something right. If you have a crappy day today, you can overcome those challenges tomorrow. Tackle each problem day by day, don’t overwork yourself, just do better.

10. You are never too young to have an opinion.

This one has really stuck with me, especially when the younger generations are told they are too young to understand the world. Yes, we haven’t been on this Earth as long as our parents or grandparents, but I can tell you right now, Gen Z is going to change the world. We are already forming our own opinions and challenging the opinions of our elders. Even if you cannot vote, that doesn’t mean your opinion isn’t valid. You can do so many things without a vote. Just remember, having an opinion doesn’t have an age restriction.

11. We were made to make mistakes, just make sure you learn from them.

I’ve always been afraid to make mistakes, afraid to disappoint my parents, afraid to loose something due to a mistake, but I’ve learned over time that IT IS OKAY. We were put on this Earth for trial and error! Making mistakes is human, but you have to take something out of it for the mistake to have a purpose. Making a mistake can fuel your desire to do better, to change a bad habit, or even to see yourself in a different light. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

12. Don’t bottle up your emotions, let them run free.

My entire life I have been called sensitive, full of emotion, even dramatic sometimes. It’s meant to hurt our feelings because society teaches us that being called sensitive is an insult. In reality, being full of all those emotions is not a bad thing. The more we shove our emotions under the rug, the worse they are gonna hurt when they come out. So cry in your room listening to your sad playlist, scream as loud as you can to get all the anger out of your body, and when you’re happy, let it overflow you and share it with others.

13. We are all the stars of our own movie.

Alright, I know this whole main character thing was a trend on tik tok and people would try and point out who would be who in a movie. Who were the extras, the villains, the main character’s best friend, and of course, the main character. We say, “well not everyone can be the main character”. You’re right! I’m gonna be the best friend in someone’s movie, I might just be a background character in another. However, in my OWN movie, in MY life, I am the main character. Prove to yourself that you are worth being the star of your movie.

14. Don’t wait. Do it now.

This one was pretty prevalent this year because I started my own blog. This was something I was very hesitant to do, I was nervous, afraid what people might say. I kept saying, “I’ll do it another day”. If I kept waiting for the perfect time, I would have been waiting forever. So, I did it, and I will be forever grateful that I did. This blog has been so amazing the last few months, all because I decided to stop waiting and hit publish. So, I encourage you all to stop putting your dreams on hold and do it. Do it now.

15. Everyone can change the world in their own way.

I saved the best for last, or at least my favorite lesson. I used to think changing the world meant curing cancer or inventing something revolutionary. You don’t have to do something that big to make a difference, millions of people don’t need to know your name, you don’t have to spend your entire life working towards one goal. This is because making a change starts small, the little things that work towards a larger goal. Once you change your mindset, you can change the world.

xoxo, megs