While the adolescent years are a time of growth and exploration, one of the disadvantages of this phase of life is that adolescents don’t typically have alot of perspective – that is, hindsight or foresight. To be fair, it is almost impossible to have a realistic expectation of what the future may (or may not) hold when you simply haven’t had alot of life experience yet. It is only the “here and now” that seems relevant, and many have not developed the coping skills needed to manage emotionally turbulent experiences that often accompany this phase. Admittedly, it can be a pretty tough time.
But as time goes on, one develops resilience and perspective. And after going through the adolescent phase with my own two daughters, I now realize how incredibly helpful hindsight and foresight would have been to me as a teen, back in those formative years.
So, knowing what I know now, this is what I would tell my adolescent self – with love and acceptance.
Mistakes are a part of life, but the knowledge you gain can become your superpower.
Be as compassionate with yourself as you are towards others.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help – no one knows what you need as well as you do.
Life will not always be easy, but you are stronger than you think and you will persevere.
It is more important to make progress than to (try to be) perfect.
Find your voice because you deserve to be heard.
Over time, I have come to accept that some things that seemed true many years ago may not be as true now, or perhaps not even true at all. And while I have gained more knowledge and life experience since those teenage days, I will continue to nurture my adolescent self because she still lives within me and influences the woman I am today.
Credits:
Featured image – Jetpack AI Assistant
Other images – Kay Parent
sincerelykayparent
Sincerely Kay Parent 
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