Ok, during this de-cluttering organizing phase I am going thought right now, I am going to temporarily break from my usual blog topics and write on varying topics that pique my interests.

Today I saw a post from Ag called “Things I wish I knew at 18…”. I’m going to write a similar post. Since I am going through a re-discovery of self and life right now, I’m going to focus this on me@18 versus 18 year old’s in general. It’s been 10 years since I was 18, 10 years since I graduated high-school, and 10 years of ups and downs leading me to the life I have now.

Looking back on the last 10 years of my life, what would I tell the 18 year old me if I could talk to her right now?

1: Goals and dreams will change. People in your life will change. In fact, change will describe much of the next 10 years of your life. Your black will become white accompanied by many shades of gray, and your whole perspective on life will change – several times over. But through this all, you will always be you, and life will always be worth living simply for the fact that tomorrow is another opportunity to learn, live, love, and embrace this experience of life. Accept that change will happen, whether you are ready or not, and know that you will persevere. You will persevere.

2: Respect your body. You are currently bodily naive. Food naive. Exercise naive. You have a lot to learn. Don’t wait to learn about how to take care of your body and mind until after neglect and mindlessness. You do persevere in this area, too, but you can avoid learning some lessons the hard way.

3: Stress. You know you are a stressed young girl. You always have been. Well, learn to gain control over this soon because much of the abuse your body and mind go through over the next 10 years area directly tied to stress of your making. Your mind has control over your perception of the world and events, learn to control it rather than letting it control you. This is probably the single most important thing you need to know!

4: Challenge the authority of scholarly intelligence. You are far more intelligent than you realize. You slowly learn that intelligence is not signified by simply obtaining Ph.D’s, MDs or other forms of high education. Question those you hold in the highest respect the most!

5: Never lose yourself completely in one person. This is dangerous because when that person is no longer in your life, you lose a part of yourself forever.

6: Learn what grasping feels like. Learn to challenge it and dig down to what you are really reaching for. And when that scares the hell out of you, understand that it is better to deal now rather than later. Problems you delay facing only become more difficult.

7: You enjoy and indulge in formal education. There is nothing wrong with this. But, start learning about what life is like post-college before it arrives. There is a whole new world of responsibilities you can’t put off and cram for last minute, and consequences are more than a bad grade. Learn how to manage money in the short term and long term. Learn to make informed decisions when contracts are involved. And learn to save. Once again, some problems don’t have to be learned the hard way.

8: Identity. You seemingly struggle with this at several points, but if you just look a little deeper you will see that you never go anywhere. You are only learning more. Changing your mind is ok. In the face of new data, the results can and do change. Don’t fear “being wrong”, but rather thoroughly question and once again be open to change, both within yourself and in the world around you.

9: Dogs. Stick to dogs. Other pets can be interesting, exciting, and different. But no other animal companion can fill your heart like a dog even though you may very stubbornly try. Yes, you like to pet your friends’ cats, but cats are not for you. Birds are great, and you do finally get your chickens, but birds don’t cuddle like dogs. Accept no substitutes and wait for the right dogs to enter your life. Your heart will explode with love when they do!

10: Regrets. While you love where you end up in 10 years, and wouldn’t change a thing, regrets are natural. The things you think you will regret are not the things you actually regret after some time has passed. What are some regrets after 10 years? Not making more friends. Not keeping up with your cello playing. Not taking your interest in physics and astronomy more seriously, even though your job does end up being in the space industry. And not talking more to your sister. There are some things, some big things, that you want to regret, but without such events you would not be who you are today. As you so naively believe now, your life does have a way of working everything out in the end. Just hope the next 10 years do the same.

11: You see things. Know this. Don’t doubt this. You see the world in a way many don’t. Try not to let this isolate you, but rather seek out others like yourself. Know that you will find a man (who does marry you) that sees the world as you do, and together you will discover the meaning of life – the meaning of your lives. Embrace this journey, trust the course, know it is not always easy, and know true peace is born of this connection.

12: Say what you feel, and stand up for your personal truths. Be your own, but fair and just, critic. And never try to please the masses, but defer -and not fear- to the masses of individuals inside you that make the whole of your existence.

13: Start trying to live forever now! There is nothingness in death. Accept this reality sooner than later, learn to let go of the fairytale you so desperately want to believe in right now. All great minds are lost to this great nothing. Be a part of the revolution against death! For all the battles worth fighting, this is the one that can win the war! Yes, we are at war with the faults of our evolution. Modern medicine has made great advances, but the war is not over until we conquer the final stage: Death.