Top Ten Things I Wish I'd Known in My Teens

Hello and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday!

Before I get into this Tuesday's top ten topic, I first want to acknowledge a little something: Yesterday was the 2 year anniversary of the launch of MamaManagement.

Now, this is not a significant milestone to anyone but me. MamaManagement is a very small blog with a very small readership. And that's just fine with me. But this very small blog is very important to me. And this 2 year anniversary means a lot to me. It signifies that 2 years ago I decided to do something, small as it may be, just for me.

Had that happened 10 years ago, I'm not sure it would have proved to be so significant. But when you are a mom of small children, doing something that is entirely for yourself can be a big deal. MamaManagement is not for my kids or my husband. It does not get anything off my to-do list and it does not help clean my house. It does not run errands for me and it does not take care of the dog. MamaManagement is just for me. And not only is it something just for me…it is writing.

It was 2 years ago that MamaManagement allowed me to dip a toe back into the waters of writing…waters that I had all but left behind so many years ago. And for that, I am grateful. As I am grateful for my teeny-tiny readership. So thank you readers and thank you MamaManagement for giving me a place to express myself for the last two years.

Now, on to Top Ten Tuesday!

This week's top ten list is: Top Ten Things I Wish I'd Known in My Teens.

As I read YA fiction or talk to/watch my teenage nieces or think about the future teen years for my kids, it gets me thinking about what I wish I had known back then…and ultimately some of the life lessons I hope to pass on to my kids. And that leads me to this…

Top Ten Things I Wish I'd Known in My Teens
10. That I was pretty hot (and not even a little bit fat…at all).
9. That things didn't really matter as much as I thought they did. And by things I mean, well, pretty much everything. (Also, that everyone else is far more worried about themselves than they are about me.)
8. That I should trust my gut but remember that I am not invincible.
7. That learning was more important than grades and that finding the "right college for me" was more important than finding the prestigious program or big name school.
6. That popularity is stupid and the high school caste system can be ignored. (And that just because those kids are uber popular (or skinny…or pretty…or talented…or anything else) doesn't mean their lives are any better than mine…and sometimes they're worse.)
5. That finding a few great friends is all that matters.
4. That I didn't need to be perfect (and there's no such thing).
3. That I didn't need to know what I was going to do with the rest of my life by 17. And that I would only be young once…enjoy it, have fun…work hard, but not too hard.
2. That I needed to be open…to most everything.
1. That I should never give up on my dreams...even if they aren't likely to make me a lot of money or guarantee job security as an adult…(1b. There are no guarantees anyway. 1c. And while it's okay to have a back-up plan, it's not okay to let plan b takeover before plan a even had a chance.)

So there you have it.

Until next time, go follow your dreams.