The teenage years of life will be the hardest years ever. Said literally no adult ever. However many teenagers have proved to struggle through this time in their life and often forget what is really important. This is a motivating piece aimed at teenagers who simply need reminding that there is much more to life, and some tips that can help make the teenage years more successful.

Something that I can not stress enough is the importance of having good friends, and being a good friend. Some people find it hard to tell what being a good friend looks like, and everyone deals with relationships differently. Although the majority of teens have learned by this point in their lives how to be a good friend, some do need reminding every now and again. Being a good friend is a matter of the small things as well as the big things. For example, noticing when your friend is sad and always making sure they know they have your support. Including them in plans, complimenting them, being truthful and most importantly never making a joke about them if you know it is going to upset them. I say this because a big part of the teenage world is taking the mickey out of others “for a laugh”. It is a real matter of treat people how you want to be treated.

Another big thing teens seem to do in this day and age is show they can’t be trusted. Trust is a big thing in any type of relationship and especially friends. Not being trusted by friends is a good start to not having any true/real friends. Back home I have two best friends and honestly, I can say, my life would not be the same without them. I met Kayleigh and Bella in year 9 when I first started at Napier Girls’. Kayleigh and I have been friends since the day we met each other, we did everything together. Although we knew Bella, Kayleigh and I didn’t actually become friends with her until about 2 years ago, and that’s when two peas in a pod became 3. What makes our friendship so strong is all the memories and moments we’ve shared, and every milestone we’ve come to in our teenage years we’ve come to together. There are certain people you will meet in your life who just connect with on another level and you know you were meant to be, not necessarily as lovers I mean it could be your friend, or a sibling or a parent or teacher or anyone. They just feel like soul mates, and that’s what Kayleigh and Bella are to me. Everyone knows what it is like to have a falling out with your friends. I remember at one point, I had such a bad falling out with them both and we didn’t speak for at least month (which is a very long time when you talk to them every single day). And I will tell you to this day, it was the worst month of my entire life. This is when I learned what a big impact having good friends in life actually has, and taught me to never take them for granted.

There are two types of managing time, there’s managing time to meet certain deadlines and then there’s managing time to live life to the fullest and make use of every single moment because no one knows when their time is up or what things could change. The first type is to do with everyday life, and not leaving things to the last minute or better yet not doing at all.They say procrastination is the killer of time, and not only is it the killer of time it’s the killer of dreams and lives. If you procrastinate on the small things for example school work, it begins to close doors and affect the future. Doing things when they need to be done is more beneficial than thought.

Touching on the second type of time management, others shouldn’t have to make decisions based of another’s opinions. I have witnessed friends of mine being bullied by their parents to do something they don’t want to do and it honestly it is so frustrating.  If humans have learned one thing it’s that life is too short to be faffing about especially when you’re in the golden years of a teenager. I once knew a girl just like me, she was 18 years old just finished high school and landed her first job. Just over 2 months ago, she was driving home from work when she made the decision to text whilst drive. This decision cost her her life. Moral of the story is that stuff happens, and it happens unexpectedly for whatever reason. Life is unpredictable and no one should settle for a life they aren’t happy with, and should always try and change it. Time is the most valuable coin in life, you and you alone will determine how it’s spent, just be careful you do not let anyone spend it for you.

Leading on this from this, something that it is quite a hard concept to grasp is being grateful for everything because you never know when it’s going to change. This is definitely something that I have realized over time and has helped me to enjoy every moment of my life. Things change throughout life. Quite frankly, life would be boring if it didn’t. And most people look back and think “Oh I missed that. I wish things were still like that” but then you forget to stop and think that maybe in 3 years you will look back on now and think the same thing, and as soon as you realize this, you begin to be more appreciative of things you have now. Coming into the hostel, if I didn’t have my mindset like this I can guarantee I wouldn’t have coped being away from home, and I wouldn’t have enjoyed the opportunities I have had the fortune to get this year. Basically just be appreciative of now.

Everything all leads up to being truthful. Which makes this an easy thing to talk about. Telling the truth inevitably will result in good relationships with peers and since the future is something most teens stress about at this time, being honest with is important to pursue your true aspirations. Being honest is most likely one of the best qualities one can have in life so recognizing this at a young age will be helpful sometimes the truth hurts but it’s always better to be the friend that keeps it real rather than the fake friend right?  

Life is difficult, and it is especially difficult for a young adult that hasn’t had a lot of experience in the big wide world. At this age, things that help is having good friends and relationships with your peers, managing time so you don’t get stressed out, and making sure you don’t waste a second and your always living to the fullest.