What would you say if you could speak to your 16-year-old self?

Scarinae

One of the trends on Twitter today was #tweetyour16yearoldself, and some of the posts are pretty funny:

- You're right: no one gives a damn about Junior Cert results
- Time will prove you right: Blur ARE better than Oasis
- Invent a website where people can post 140 character messages. Trust me.

I thought it was an interesting idea though... What would you say if you were able to talk to your 16-year-old self? Would you give yourself advice, tell yourself about something that would happen in the future, or point out what a twat you were at that age?

I think that I would tell myself to stop worrying so much. I worried about what other people thought, what I'd do in college, my weight (even though I was actually quite slim, ah hindsight is a wonderful thing!)
I'd tell myself that if people care that much about what you look like/wear etc, they're not worth knowing anyway; I'd tell myself to stick to my guns and do what I find interesting so that I'd find an interesting job (I love what I'm doing now, even if it's not hugely secure! The guidance counsellor tried so hard to push me into medicine, and I would have hated it :rolleyes:)

I'd also tell myself to stay away from the knobend I went out with for a couple of months, the only ex-boyfriend I have very few positive things to say about... Assuming that the laws of causality wouldn't put me into some sort of crazy alternate reality like in Back to the Future 2, that is!

Cavehill Red

Buy Gold.

Xiney

learn to love exercise for the love of god

bronte

1) That guy you fancy? He's a complete asshole and will cheat on you.
2)Stop worrying about the future. Seriously!
3)Get a lighter shade of brow pencil.
4) Ten years from now you will be living in a different country and it will be quite bloody well good really!

jubella

Stop being so shy & come out of your shell, life is too short!

Dudess

You've a fantastic figure - quit thinking you're fat, you muppet!

You're good at languages - study hard enough to get a place on a languages degree because you really will regret it if you don't

Feeling like a freak for being sexually inexperienced at 16 is hilarious - hilarious!

Raze_them_all

Yes piercings are awesome, maybe accumilating the 46 will prevent you getting a job you like.


Drop out of secondary you still want to do the army at 22 and will get in at 16

vicecreamsundae

stop thinking you are a hideous monster. you're not.

boys are going to love you. seriously! and the ones you actually WANT to love you.

it's not all that black and white. you'll figure that out eventually, but the sooner the better. you going to say, do and believe things you NEVER thought you would, and it doesn't even make you a hypocrite.

RacoonQueen

- Buckle up, this ride is about to get bumpy.
- Don't worry and stress over things beyond your control.
- Don't waste your talents.
- He means it, he will get you back one day.

The Big Red Button

Slightly off-topic, but I was just talking about this with my best friend the other day. When we were sixteen, my youngest sister was born. Myself and my friend were really excited about it ... and we decided to write her letters that we would give to her when she turns sixteen. I remember the two of us spent a full evening in my bedroom writing pages and pages full of all the wisdom and advice that we had picked up in our sixteen years, and telling her all about us and our lives and the boys we were in love with etc. My friend still has those letters sealed in a box under her bed ... I can't wait til my sister's 16th birthday so I can read them again! Only seven years to go!!!

Anyways. Advice for my 16 year old self. I guess I'd just say that it's fine to make lots of mistakes and f*ck-ups ... just so long as you try to learn whatever lessons you can from them. And it's fine to do your own thing rather than follow everyone else's advice, if it's the thing that feels right and makes you sleep better at night. And no matter how big a deal something is at the time ... chances are, this time a year away, it's not going to be on your mind at all.

I don't know. I really don't feel like I've matured all that much since I was sixteen, so I'm not really a great one to be giving advice, even to my past self!

- First and second year uni results WILL matter when you are looking for phd funding, stop messing and skipping lectures
- Don't go out with idiots 1 or 2... or 3
- That guy you have a crush on but thought wouldn't look at your twice likes you back, SAY something! but it doesn't matter long term because you'll meet someone more amazing


Yeah thats about it

Silverfish

Buy Apple shares

Buy Google shares

Stick with the programming, seriously.

rainbow kirby

Don't let yourself get as fat as you did, and dear sweet zombie jesus don't EVER start playing MMORPGs.

Take a year out after school to decide what you really want to do. Also, seriously think about doing medicine, you will get the LC results for it.

The people in school are just arseholes. It *does* get better.

Fox McCloud

You're not fat! Stop reading ****e magazines that make you feel fat rather than going on ridiculous diets.

Take up a hobby.

Talk to more people, there mostly nice and not as scary as you think!

jmbkay

Don't do it. You will regret it for the rest of your life. I did. And I did.

Leeg17

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Don't let yourself get as fat as you did, and dear sweet zombie jesus don't EVER start playing MMORPGs.


The people in school are just arseholes. It *does* get better.

Mine here ^

FayeRayRay

-Dont wear so much pink
-Stop thinking your fat you are a size 6 for God's sake
-Why on Earth would you get that pierced ?????
-Have more fun, and stop worrying !!!!!!

senordingdong

Invent facebook.

Malari

- You should speak what you think a bit more. People will respect you for it. And yes, that means to teachers too.

- Please learn how to put on make-up properly. :rolleyes:

- You may think no-one will ever like you now, but trust me, in 5 years time you will meet a boy from school and he will actually use the words "oh my god"

Actually when I was 17 I wrote a letter to myself about my life, thoughts, feelings, etc. and I sealed it and wrote "not to be opened until you are 34" (ie, another 17 years) and it must still be in my boxes of stuff somewhere in my parents' attic I only have a few years to find it! God, it's probably totally cringeworthy.

tough__cookie

Stop obsessing about your weight.

Loose the 2 striped tracksuit pants.

You're not a freak just because your parents are separated.

Someday you'll meet your soul mate so don't even bother with any other gob****es until then.

squeakyduck

Don't go out with that boy, it'll end in tears.

The make up you used to wear was hideous learn to use eyeliner constructively, buy proper make up brushes, stop wearing your hair in a pony tail and FOR CHRISTS SAKE buy a straightener!

Life/social status does not revolve around the music you listen to. Although you being the only person who loved Sum 41 as much as you did was pretty cool even though the goth freaks called you a looser.

Truley

Your parents are not the cause of everything that's wrong with your life :rolleyes:

Asphyxia

- Your health will improve loads and you wont be sick anymore, you'll be hospital free.
- Don't you dare experiment with drugs :mad:
- It's never too late to go back to education.
- Although it's hard to see now the guy you have started going out will be one of the best things ever to happen to you and you will be so happy with him.
- Don't worry you will do all the travelling you've dreamed about.
- They're some people in your life that your not sure about. Well... you're right they will try to hurt you and for a some while they will but you'll get over it.

baby and crumble

Love this thread!!!

1) Yes, you're gay. No, your family won't disown you. Yes, it's awesome. SO please don't go out with that guy- it won't make you straight.

2) You can do subjects in college that you didn't do for the LC. Yes, that means mad stuff like psychology and sociology.

3) Life isn't what you think it is. It's not black & white, or right & wrong. Stuff happens you never think will, and life throws lots of curves. Deal with it.

4) You will have an idea when you're about 25 to go to Paris with your Mum. Do it. Don't let her keep putting it off. You don't have long left with her.

5) Don't bother buying that mini-disc player. Wait a year and buy an mp3 player. Trust me.

6) CUT YOUR HAIR! You look like a dead slug with that hair.

7) Try sushi. You'll love it, I guarantee it.

Novella

I'd say nothing. I believe that the things we experience impact on who we become weeks, months and years down the line. If I told myself not to do X, or to avoid getting my heart broken etc., then I'd probably not be who I am now and think how I do. As for the little things - the wearing of the insanely baggy jeans with underwear peeping over the top (I know! ), that's just kinda funny to think about now.

Princess Peach

Get some confidence girl and stop being so afraid of everything!

And please stop wearing pants that soak up to the knees when it rains.

Eve_Dublin

Deadly thread...

- Take the jumper off that you´ve tied round your waist...your arse is not big, it´s curvaceous.

- Those 3 nasty girls at school have never left your hometown and karma has bit all 3 of them in the ass.

- You have a pretty cool taste in music for a girl your age.

- Be nicer to your dad, he´s doing his best.

- Your twenties will be better than your teens.

- Get up those stairs and study! You´re capable of a lot more even though you think you aren´t.

- You look like an idiot smoking.

sealgaire

Buy gold??? Buy copper!!!

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Buy Gold.

Tipsygypsy

From the book 'The Gathering' by Anne Enright, I read during the summer and it struck a chord...

"There are so few people given us to love. I want to tell my daughters this, that each time you fall in love it is important, even at nineteen. Especially at nineteen. And if you can, at nineteen, count the people you love on one hand, you will not, at forty, have run out of fingers on the other. There are so few people given us to love and they all stick."


I would tell me to cherish the moment, enjoy it, not worry about what other people think (she'll have worked that out for herself by 17). And not to worry, the people who matter will be with her for a very long time, and the assh0les will continue to be assh0les, but they dont matter. And follow her heart, cos thats what I did and things all worked out just fine.

I wouldnt tell her who she would end up marrying because she just wouldnt believe me!:D

Kimia

Not to get too deep or heavy but the funny thing is is that if we didn't go through the 'mistakes' that we are now warning our 16 year old selves about, we would never learn the lesson that would enable us to give the advice!

More on topic, I would tell myself to not worry so much about what other people think of you. Don't be a sheep!

Also I would tell myself to take up a sport and get active, it gets harder and harder the older you get.

SeekUp

I would tell myself to do what I thought was right for me and what I wanted to be doing, instead of doing what I felt I should be doing.

I would also tell myself not to compare the direction my life was heading with those of my friends . . . it's okay to be on different paths, at different places on each of those paths.

(Whether my 16-year-old self would've listened is a completely different story altogether . . . )

FTGFOP

Turn it down, ffs! Kids. :rolleyes:

Des Carter

I wouldnt say a thing. Im perfectly happy with the way I turned out.

Maple

Fabulous idea for a thread. What would I tell my 16yr old self? Hmmmm...

- You're not fat. Stop making yourself sick.

- Your breasts are going to grow. Stop fretting about them, and DO NOT ever stuff your bra with green tissue at the disco. It will fall out. I know this.

- Yes, you will always love him but he is not for you. Break up and walk away from him the first time, not the eleventh million.

- Don't put yourself in the middle of your parent's divorce. You're the child, not the parent. It will hurt you.

- Velvet scrunchies are not cool. I repeat, not cool.

- you might hate her now but your sister will turn out to be your best friend in the world.

- sex is not affection. learn the difference.

- don't take it all on your own shoulders, speak to someone about your head and where it's at.

- you might feel lonely but one day you will have the most wonderful people in your life. look forward to that day.

- learn to like yourself, you're pretty cool, there's only one of you so you're unique and can never be replicated.

Malari

Des Carter wrote: »

I wouldnt say a thing. Im perfectly happy with the way I turned out.

I don't think that's what this is about though. I am perfectly happy with the way I turned out too. It's just a pity I didn't find a way of expediting the process!

Lynnsie

Spend more time with Dad, you only have him for a couple of more years. Go for walks and drives with him, and the other things you see your sister do with him and wonder why she bothers when there are much more fun things to do.

The boyfriend you’re with now – save yourself a LOT of trouble and get rid of him. Once you see sense and get away from him, you’ll thrive. You are much, much too young to be dealing with his issues, you don’t realise you’re still only a baby! (16 year old me would be rolling her eyes at this stage while thinking how grown up she is and that I obviously don’t understand how much she loves him :rolleyes:)

Runners do not go with everything. Tartan flares are never a good idea, nor is purple hair

Snoopy1

You shouldnt have lost your virginity at 15.
You shouldnt stay with that boyfriend, he's nothing but trouble.
You should always listen to your mum.
Dont try to grow up too early

jokettle

The 2 girls who are bullying you will end up

1) dropping out in final year of school to "get famous". She will end up working in Supervalu with no qualifications.

2) Fat (and later pregnant at 19 through some ONS, but for now fat is enough)

They still spend their time huddled in corners bitching about people, except now they do it in the pub instead of the schoolyard.

So don't let them bug you; you'll move away for college and never look back

Posy

-Stop sitting down the back of the class saying "I'll never need this crap in real life." You WILL.
-Take a gap year before you go to college, you're TOO young to know what you want to do.
-For God's sake get a hair straightener and USE IT. NOW.
-Stop worrying about your bad skin. Go to a doctor and get it sorted.
-No, your boobs are not going to get any bigger, I'm sorry.

seenitall

Never mind all the hate, this will pass and time is on your side. I love you, I love you, I love you.

Wibbs

Anything that is really playing on your mind today, you'll struggle to remember it at all in ten years time.

People have short memories, but that's OK, they have their own crap to deal with.

Upset, embarrassment and anger is your ego talking. It's rarely reality.

No matter how bad you feel at this moment, the graveyards are full of people who would give all they had to be able to just feel like you at this moment.

On that score, nothing in life is written in stone, except your grave marker.

If you're afraid of something, then do it(does not include french kissing sharks).

If one person says you smell, ignore it. If ten people do, buy soap. Covers most advice.

confusticated

Your group of friends will pretty much change entirely in the next year, so stop worrying about it now, it turns out fine.

That girl who seems so cool on the first day of college is in fact also completely lost. Talk to her and be friends so ye both don't spend the whole first term being on your own in class! She's great.

Sit next to that boy on the bus in a few months. You won't regret it.

Don't give up sport, you'll want to go back to it and it HURTS when you've been lazy for two years!

You're doing okay, and it only gets better:)

solovely

Buy a tweezers and learn how to use them. Oh and hair mousse/ serum.

Everybody in your year in school is NOT having sex.

Don't let him put his fingers down there just cos everyone else is letting guys do it to them at the back of the disco. It;s not classy and it won't make you cool.

Learn how to drink a proper drink....slowly....vodka and blackcurrant looks like blood when you vomit it back up.

Stop trying so hard to look so cool....it's OK to be a nerd, you'll be proud of your nerdiness later in life when the cool people are pushing prams and signing on.

Your mother is not clueless or stupid, and she does really care about you. She's actually really clued in and knows what's going on, you just wreck her head with all your hormones and temper tantrums....you'll laugh a lot about it in years to come....try see the funny side now.

Neyite

Black Eyeliner is not a good look.

That quirky jumper is not quirky. its horrible.

be kinder to yourself.

Scarinae

jokettle wrote: »

The 2 girls who are bullying you will end up

1) dropping out in final year of school to "get famous". She will end up working in Supervalu with no qualifications.

2) Fat (and later pregnant at 19 through some ONS, but for now fat is enough)

They still spend their time huddled in corners bitching about people, except now they do it in the pub instead of the schoolyard.

So don't let them bug you; you'll move away for college and never look back

Oh, the karma! (Or possibly the schadenfreude )

Someone wrote that they'd say not to bother getting a minidisc player - that made me laugh, because I had one too! It's probably still somewhere in my bedroom at home

A few people have said they wouldn't change anything because our experiences make us what we are... I see your point, and it was kinda what I was getting at with my Back to the Future 2 remark! I still think it's a fun idea, if we can bypass the problems it would cause for the space-time continuum or whatever

Dave147

zoegh wrote: »

Love this thread!!!
....

4) You will have an idea when you're about 25 to go to Paris with your Mum. Do it. Don't let her keep putting it off. You don't have long left with her.

I'm so sorry, my mom has had a rough few years and I'm glad I've begun to appreciate her now.. :(

1. Stop letting your dad shave your hair with a razor, girls will like you if you get a proper haircut!

2. Do something else in college, Computer Science ain't all about hacking!

3. Avoid the 3 car crashes you've been in and maybe your neck and back won't be ****ed

4. When you turn 23 you will meet a ridiculously hot girl who you will fall in love with you and you will fall in love with, believe it, you're a stud!

Morrigin

You're doing great kiddo but:

1) You are not fat and believe it or not in a couple of years time you'll like yourself more with a few curves so eat a sandwich for god's sake
2) Ignore the bitches in school - college is where it gets so much better for you
3) The guy who you think broke your heart didn't really break your heart - he's a waste of space anyway

AND

4) That guy that you're mad about but you're too shy to say it likes you too but he's too shy to say it - but you're going to marry him.

5) Your confidence WILL grow and you'll look back and wonder who that quiet 16 year old actually was.

Kimia

maple wrote: »

Fabulous idea for a thread. What would I tell my 16yr old self? Hmmmm...

- You're not fat. Stop making yourself sick.

- Your breasts are going to grow. Stop fretting about them, and DO NOT ever stuff your bra with green tissue at the disco. It will fall out. I know this.

- Yes, you will always love him but he is not for you. Break up and walk away from him the first time, not the eleventh million.

- Don't put yourself in the middle of your parent's divorce. You're the child, not the parent. It will hurt you.

- Velvet scrunchies are not cool. I repeat, not cool.

- you might hate her now but your sister will turn out to be your best friend in the world.

- sex is not affection. learn the difference.

- don't take it all on your own shoulders, speak to someone about your head and where it's at.

- you might feel lonely but one day you will have the most wonderful people in your life. look forward to that day.

- learn to like yourself, you're pretty cool, there's only one of you so you're unique and can never be replicated.

Same. Isn't it great?

Nice advice, if only I had you around when I was 16!

solovely

Is the book out already or does anybody know when it's coming out? Really hoping it's in my Christmas stocking this year....although not sure how honest all the celebs will actually be!!

Listening to Ian Dempsey's this morning was hilarious!!

Think it's great that it's turned viral too, bet it's more than the youth foundation (or whichever charity it is???) wished for when they launched this!!

Gillo

You're gonna f@&k up from time to time- that's cool because everyone does but anytime you do make sure you learn from it.

Take risks, even if it's just approaching that girl you think is hot.

fermoycailin

Fab thread

• You'll fall in love with a few guys who will hurt you - one of them another 16 years later for the second time - don't spend another 2 years getting over him - he's got issues which are not your problem. None of them were good enough, but its part of life. Each is one frog closer to your prince (still waiting but now have the faith that he'll arrive).
• Soak up life and its experiences - you won't go to college twice - have fun. Try to enjoy it from the first week. Don't see it as being away from home, but more like your first steps to independence, which you learn to love - embrace it sooner rather than later. All those at home will still be there when you get back. Many in the exact same place you left them. You'll make friends for life at college, and even second families!
• Take up a sport at college - widen your circle of friends
• Loosen up a bit - you can be great craic when not concerned what people think all the time
• Stay thin, but don't stress it
• Get rid of any shiny tracksuit you have in your wardrobe
• Appreciate each member of your family - you don't always know what's going on - they might not know themselves, as you will later find out.
• Write down all the hilarious stories that will happen to you and your friends over the next 10 years. You won't believe how easily they are forgotten. They might even make a good book! What fun.
• Be brave
• Be more willing to tell people how you feel - mainly the positive stuff.
• Compliment people, and accept compliments.
• Most of all - regret what you have done rather than what you haven't! And don't wake up at the age of 80, wishing you had done anything that its too late for then.