By James Cruz

I’m 18.

“I wish I could tell you that I know it all,” I screamed to my mom multiple times—this time—last year, but the reality is I don`t know anything. Of course I have realized more things about myself and others over the course of this year, and that has led me this: a summary of self reminisce. I want to be able to share what 18 years of living feels like. As a part of a new generation that will impact and shape today’s society, I have come to learn many things that have made me grow as a person.

 

• Trying to push time is not always going to get you what you want. Be patient, good things come to people who wait, you’ll see.

• Failure is okay. Our generation has a fixed mindset of failure being a negative part of life; schools, educators, and parents push us to succeed in everything that we do. Not that it’s a bad thing that we are pushed, but how are we able to learn from past mistakes if we are not allowed to fail? Life is all about being able to fail, and be able to learn from that failure.

• Dream big. Set high goals for yourself, high enough that people start to question your life decisions. High personal standards will give you the grit to survive in this unfair world.

• No one owes you anything. If you want something, go get it—no matter if you are confronted with a challenging situation. Don’t worry, it’s not impossible.

• Friends come and go, that’s a fact. The true friends—the ones that don’t question you—are ones who stay. I can’t express how much I live by this. You will have an unlimited amount of friendships, but soon you will soon start to realize that there are friends that are only there to attempt understanding you, but there are also the friends that do not question you—those kinds of friends are the ones you keep for the long run.They are people that are going to genuinely care about you, listen to you, and support you.  

• Be accepting to the negative and positive feedback. There is always room for improvement. Even though you may you think you know it all, always use opportunities to grow.

• Listen to your mother—she knows what she is talking about—all the life talks and tips will come in handy one day.

• Learn to appreciate things before they are gone. Everyone has the fault where they don’t realize what they have until it’s gone. Do not let that be you; appreciate all the big and small stuff in your life because when the time comes, those will items start disappearing from your life and you’ll start regretting that you did not appreciate it enough.

 

The past years of my life have shaped me into the person I am today. I’ve made mistakes, revised them, and yet achieved so much. I have learned to accept myself and others for who they are. 18 years is just a start of the new experiences that are to come.