The Things Every Young Woman Should Know In This Day And Age

I have a lot to say, and I don't really know where to begin. The age of adolescence is one you will remember forever. You will experience more than you can ever imagine in the next decade or so, both good and bad. People will come, people will go, you will be let down and you will be joyfully surprised. There will be pressure to conform and to follow the trends portrayed in the media. There will be pressure to make decisions and face conflicts. You will learn and you will grow.

It's important that you stay true to you. Do not allow other people or outside factors to change you. You are uniquely you, and that is exactly why people love to be in your presence. Express your weirdness and do it with pride. Be funny; be silly. You are too young to be so serious. Make new friends; explore new places. Do not hold back, and don't let your mother hold you back either.

Take risks. It's the risks you take that will guide you to learning more about yourself and who you want to be. Do not let social pressures turn you into someone you're not, however. Who cares what other people think? You are your own person, and you will soon learn that the opinions of others do not matter nearly as much as you think they do.

There will be great friends, but foes, as well. There will even be some great friends who turn into foes. Do not let the drama of youth run your life. Be true to your friends, be trustworthy and be honest. You will come across others who might not be your biggest fan for no reason at all. You cannot let these individuals phase you. Disregard the negativity.

Be good to others, and others will be good to you. The same goes for the lovers that will come and go in your life. There will be your first love, followed by a possible broken heart, and then there will be many loves that swoop in to mend that broken heart. You will experience all types of love in this world, along with all different types of lovers that you might never expect.

Be a loyal and faithful girlfriend. Avoid temptations that will quickly turn into regrets. Give yourself the ability to say with confidence that you are and always have been a good girlfriend. To the lovers who break your heart, screw them. Second chances are as hard to give as they are to come by, and more often than not, you will be disappointed with yourself for letting the one who hurt you back into your life. Always remember that there will be many loves in your life, and the right one will never let you down.

Explore the world! There is so much opportunity out there. Walk through open doors. If you don't take advantage of opportunity and dive into risks, you might never discover your true calling. Consider challenges opportunities to build your strength and learn lessons. You will find that when one door closes, another door opens.

Life goes on and never stands still. Expand your horizons. Soak up different cultures and the knowledge of those who have experienced the world before you. You have so much to learn and experience on your own, but you should listen to your elders. As much as mom and dad might get on your nerves, 99 percent of the time, they are right. They have been there, done that. They have made mistakes and made the best decisions of their lives. Heed their advice, instead of shooing them away.

Be appreciative of what you have. You are so young-minded and naive, it's almost funny. Do not be ungrateful. You are blessed with the life you have in itself. Appreciate what you are given, and never take anything for granted. One day, what you once had will no longer be there. Recognize the value in even the littlest things. It's these things that make for the best memories. Be grateful for your friends, family and support system. The people who are there for you right now will most likely be the people who will be there for you until the end.

The changes that you experience will shock you. There will be countless blessings that come unannounced, along with losses that happen all too quickly. While some changes will be the guides to a better future, others will be hard to accept. It's the good and bad changes that will mold you into the wonderful individual that you are. Welcome the good with open arms, mourn the losses that you cannot prevent and save the ones that you can.

You have the power to empower. Have confidence in yourself. Be a leader and enforce change. Be strong enough to stand up for what you believe in, gain support for a good cause and alter the world as we know it. The world is in your hands -- don't let it drop.