Life Advice For Teens

I saw an article by SIMON CATLING on ladbible.com (article link below) and wanted to share it because it illustrates one of the primary reasons why we created The Life Writer App.

Our Mission: Make Life Story Memoir Book Writing (and sharing) Easy - to Inspire, Empower, and Improve Lives.

The sharing of life story content is one of the many benefits of memoir writing.

Simon's article is titled:

Adults Share Life Advice Every Teenager Needs To Know On Reddit

and comprises (his content + images below): 

Things got surprisingly wholesome on a recent Reddit thread when a user posted the subject 'Adults of reddit, what is something every teenager wants to know?' and hundreds of grown ups jumped in to offer their own thoughts.

It's a variation of a question that comes up time and time again alongside something like 'what you tell your younger self?' And ultimately the answer is 'how long is a piece of string?'

Nevertheless, there was some great advice given out on the thread, with humour surprisingly light on the ground.

People opted instead to get earnest and really let those feels out while offering their thoughts on a broad range of practical and emotional subjects.

One popular post gave three strong bits of advice to the younger generation, stating: "Adults don't have it all figured out. They are just used to the fact that they are not and are usually quite good at hiding it.

"Dealing with your emotions will become easier as you grow.

"Even if someone says that their high school years were the best time of their life, doesn't mean that yours should necessarily be, there's a high chance your best years are far ahead of you."

Something else we could heartily get behind came from another user, who said: "Learn how to f*** up. We spend too much of our lives trying to do everything right, but the best lessons come from learning from our mistakes."

Some chose to offer much more practical advice which, while perhaps not as philosophical, is arguably just as useful.

They also added: "Oh and look after yourself physically and mentally."

Another offered: "Please heavily consider a trade if you are uncertain about college."

Some admittedly got a bit confusing, with one user writing: "No one is gonna stop you from eating cotton candy with chili, but when they see how good it is, they'll pretend they were on your side the whole time."

But our favourite piece of advice from the thread? Probably this: "Right now you have a massive span of life in front of you. Enjoy it.

"But remember ten or twenty years from now you're going to be much happier if you both had fun and also thought ahead.

"Read. Exercise. Hug your friends. Show your loved ones you love them, whatever that means to you.

"This thread might be filled with ways to be a responsible adult and a successful person. Try as hard as you can to be a happy one too."

We couldn't have put it better ourselves.

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- - - What Simon says about adults: "(They) don't have it all figured out. They are just used to the fact that they are not and are usually quite good at hiding it" is true to some extent because many do.

When I got my first "real job" and began working full-time I was surprised at how immature, often incompetent, and lazy some of my co-workers were!

Not that I'm Mr. Super Worker. I am not.  :)

But working with those older "professionals" reminded me of being back in High School with so many different personalities, styles, and capabilities.

(I shouldn't reveal this, but I'm going to: Back in the day, my dad was an executive at a BIG company in Dayton, Ohio and he received 2 tickets to the Ohio State vs. Michigan football game, being held in Ann Arbor that year. My mom did not want to go, so he asked me if I did. I said yes, and jumped at the chance.

So, we drove up to Ann Arbor and to my surprise, parked right next to the "Big House" in a special VIP parking lot. Dad introduced me to some other company execs, and then he went into the Company Tailgating Trailer before the game started. I walked around a bit and then got back into the car because it was cold and windy that day (late November in Michigan).

A few minutes later, one of the high-ranking execs came over to where our car was. He crouched down between the two cars and began vomiting. I mean, it wasn't a minor upchuck - it was heavy vomiting for about 3-4 minutes.

He did not see me sitting inside the car - probably because he was so drunk - but I saw him. 

And, as I watched him hurl - dressed in that super expensive business suit, overcoat, and high-dollar shoes, I realized something: That guy isn't much different from us High School punks, who do that once in a while also at the Drive-In! (Especially after drinking too many Little King's Cream Ales).

So, Simon is right about that. 

Just because someone is older - and probably bigger physically - that does not mean they are necessarily any better than you!  

I would like to add one other point about life advice also, from listening to so many of them.

One common theme I hear is: "Don't be afraid in life. Go for it. Get what you want."

And a common regret I've heard is: "I had the opportunity to ...(blank)... but didn't, and wish I had."

From reading Simon's article, I realize that our sharing of life story content also needs to be improved.

We have already created a page for that (see the PEARLS tab above) but the sharing aspect needs to be improved (and will be).

Why don't YOU share your story and what you have learned in life?

Your family already loves you and they - and possibly your friends - would cherish your story and advice.

Here is a link to try out The Life Writer app for FREE: https://www.thelifewriter.com/user/register

(Want 10% off the purchase price? Add TLWTAKE10 when ordering).

Here is a link to Simon Catling's excellent article: