Seventeen

Define your own beauty

Accepting and liking the skin you're in is a lot easier if you don't define the word 'beauty' by what others think it means. Beauty is individual. And so is every single human being.

You can't save everyone

Sometimes we must let go of the urge to satisfy every person we meet. Putting ourselves first at times is better for us, and mostly for the other person too.

Live now

That's all you have and all you'll ever get. Make memories and prioritize the important things: Your friends, family and all the people who helped you grow and who were there for you at rock bottom.

Nothing lasts forever

Not everyone is meant to bump down the entire road of you life with you. If you need to, let them go. You will heal. And maybe, one day, you will meet again and get a chance to start over.

Communicate openly how you feel

How would others know otherwise? Don't be afraid to say exactly what you think, even if it feels like it could ruin things. Just do it. You can apologize later. Or maybe you don't have to, because with the right people you can talk about it and make your way through.

You don't have to control your thoughts

Just don't let them control you. What sounds hard at first will get easier with time and eventually allow you to become better at handling difficult situations in which you would've unnecessarily overreacted.

Dare to say »no«

If you want to be committed, you have to learn to decline offers. Because you can't do 100 things at a time. Also remember that it's only a »no« for now, not always.

Be kind. Always.

You have no idea what the other person is going through or what made them behave the way they did. Rather try to understand them.

Don't assume; Ask!

Better be safe than sorry and make sure to really know where a person is coming from, instead of making up your mind before you know all the details. Asking the right questions is a very underrated skill.

Be thankful

It helps to see life in a more positive way and puts less weight on negative things. And it just feels right to appreciate what the universe has given to you.

Doing your best looks different every day

And it doesn't mean to power through everything and get burnt out. sometimes, it simply means existing. Just being there and making it through the days when it gets tough.

Money is not more than a tool

Focus on connection, use it to build something and for the sake of it: Don't let it define you. Rich ≠ rich and poor ≠ poor.

Love yourself

And this is not optional. sure, take all the time you need. But focus on your personality, start admiring your flaws, your special and unique traits. Spoiler: it helps you love others better, too.

Learn how to listen

One of the most important skills, yet a lot of people lack it. if you have a conversation with someone, truly try to understand them before shutting off and thinking about what to reply.

Take breaks

It is totally fine to take a step back and shift your focus so you can calm down for a bit. Your work will still be right there waiting for you.

“The pain will leave once it has finished teaching you”

Harsh, but true. Ask yourself, what lessons is this situation trying to teach me? What can I learn from it?

Tell people that you love them

It might be too late at some point.