Crucial life advice every teen needs to hear

Being a teen nowadays is way harder than when I was growing up.

So let’s be fair and give it up to the new generations. We tend to ignore the good things we hear about them and take in all the bad.

High-school is a tough time on its own, but adding the pressure of social media on teens makes it that more challenging. Adding our preconceived opinions can only make it worse.

For grown ups that don’t seem to get this, I challenge them to remember their lowest point from their teen years. We all had one. Now, imagine seeing it live on your High-school’ s Facebook Group. How about that for a time capsule experience?

This being said, I’ve started thinking on how to add meaningful value to your teen years, so you can reap the benefits from years to come, and make the best of this period.

Also, I wanted to share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way and a couple of things that nobody tells you in high-school.

This too shall pass

Whatever you are going through at this moment, please have faith that it will too shall pass.

High school drama is not real drama.

I know that right now that might seem impossible, but trust me, tomorrow, or next week, everybody will have forgotten all about whatever you’re crying your heart out for today.

Having this one belief, that no matter how painful things are at the moment, things will change for the better, will shape a more positive and exciting future for you to look forward.

It’s not uncool to be kind

You have to decide what type of person you want to become.

Being a bully is the easy part, but standing up for your beliefs, your friends or for a simple colleague takes courage.

It takes guts to be kind, yet you have nothing to lose.

Who knows what great friendships might lie ahead? One random act of kindness might not mean a lot to you, but could make a huge difference in someone else’s life.

Being popular means less than you can imagine

Being voted most popular is overrated and means nothing in real life.

The high school prom king from my hometown, class of 2006, is serving coffee for a living and my sport star crush from back in the day is now a bald, overweight cab driver.

It’s never too early to think ahead. At your high school reunion, you might want to have something more interesting to talk about than that awesome haircut you had 10 years ago.

Knowledge is not power

I’ve always been a straight A student, naturally.

When I first heard this idea from Tony Robbins, I was confused because it went against everything I was doing and what I was taught.

My parents are simple workers, yet they insisted I had a stellar education. That was the only guarantee they had for my having a better life than they did. I graduated on the top of my class at Law School, with a scholarship for excellence and many other awards.

But Tony was right. The entire truth is this: “Knowledge is just potential power.“ You have to apply what you know, take action and be determined to see the results.

Always give a 100%

If you make a habit out of this, it will change your life.

No matter the activity, passion or sport you are into, remember to go all the way. You’ll soon learn that every set back, obstacle or failure are a chance to learn a new lesson and are actually steps forward.

There is nothing that can replace consistency.

Not even talent.

Show up, work harder than everybody else and you’ll master any skill.

Find a role model

You don’t have to learn everything the hard way, you know?

Whatever your goal is, chances are there is somebody who achieved it and from which you can learn from.

See how they did it and how they became successful at it. You can find inspirational people in all areas and they all share their success stories.

Learning from the best usually makes things easier and faster.

You have all the resources, go for it.

Never stop learning

We all had this wrong perception that when school was over, we’ll never have to learn again, or take tests and so on.

Wrong.

A life of learning is a life well lived. You just have to find your passion and put it the extra effort for that.

Stay flexible and open minded.

Be proactive. Read, take part in as many extra curricular activities that you can, participate in exchange student programs, volunteer.

I personally think that personal development and positive thinking techniques should be taught in schools, but you can always do that yourself by reading and always keeping a curious mind.

Choose wisely

Decisions, decisions.

It might not seem that way, but teen years are very important for shaping your personality and future.

How you choose your friends and entourage will definitely change your high school experience and more.

Surround yourself with positive and supportive people.

Another important decisions to make: your future education and career.

Start thinking about your college options, but do it wisely. Know your strengths and find out what you are naturally good at. See what types of majors fit into your passions.

Live in the moment

I’ve talked a lot about preparing for a better you and a brighter future, but never underestimate the power of now.

You’ll never come across these years again, so make the most of them!

Don’t wait for next week, next semester or for college to have a great time.

Don’t forget to have fun, be present and take it all in. Take the pictures only after that!