Advice to a 16 year old 'you'?

[leedsveg]

Looking back at yourself to when you were 16 years old, what advice do you wish you could now give the 16 year old 'you'?

To 16 year old Ian (leedsveg), I would say:



i) Think more about animals and their suffering.

ii) Don't waste time with a girl called Pat, 'cos she'll only break your heart.

iii) Learn to play the guitar.


leedsveg:smile:

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

1. The whole vegan thing.

2. Don't obsess over girls named Pat, Molly or otherwise they'll only waste your time and break your heart. (21 year old me could use that advice as well.)

3. You never drove anywhere more then 10 miles when you were 16 you could of rode your bike everywhere like you do now. Especially to school. I lived 2 miles away and I drove my car. Thats so shameful to me now.

4. Don't be fucking wuss. By that I mean I was incredibly shy at this age, if I went out of my way to be more social talk to girls etc. I wouldn't be so socially inept now.

[danaeonyx]

It will get easier.

Start medication now.

You are not fat.

Study.

You have OCD.

Look in to veganism.

[Mollfie]

1. Stop faffing and go vegan.
2. Ditch the boyfriend, he's not worth it and doesn't treat you right
3. Make the most of the time with mum, talk to her more. In a few years she'll be deaf and you're wish you could talk to her all the time.
4. Tell your PSHE teacher to fuck off. He's wrong, you can be a writer and you will be.

I'd also want to say well done to my 16 year old self and to keep trying. I wasn't as stupid as some of my friends were at my age, but I still had fun. I also had lots of issues but I got through them.

[fallingup]

Forget partying and men
Try your best at school and go to college and try your hardest there too
Make friends with mentally healthy people
Get a job and keep busy
You deserve respect. Don't hang with people who don't give it to you.

[veganwitch]

1) Become a vegan. NOW.
2) Move out of/run away from your dysfunctional home situation asap
3) Have some fun
4) Get some life experience
5) Get your license
6) Get a job
7) Listen to your German teacher and major in it in college

[nitram]

-take up yoga now, not in 15 years time

would be my only advice

[Korn]

Regarding starting to eat vegan:
1) Don't compromise re. taste. This isn't meant to be any kind of sacrifice. If the food isn't as good as the food you're used to eat, learn how to make better meals.
2) Accept that the transition may not happen over night, and don't even think of giving up permanently if you have some slips.
3) Make sure you get meals that are nutrient rich and filling, make sure you get enough protein - and don't rely on rice and cooked vegetables too much.

[pearlgirl00]

-be vegan
-don't be so shy
-learn how to really play the clarinet
-don't date someone just to be dating someone
-be proud of yourself

[Ruby Rose]

- Stop bleating about farming conditions and continuing to eat animals - make the connection already!
- Your mother has mental health problems. You can't fix her. You need to look after yourself.
- Don't give up Irish classes. You'll feel closer to your heritage as you get older.
- Boys are rubbish at 16. Stop trying to make them like you and wait until you meet some grown-ups.
- The haircut doesn't suit you. Really. You'll look back at the photos and cringe.

[Ms_Derious]

I was a bit of a shy girl at 16, which I still am at 31, I just hide it better ;) I know full well though I'd not listen to my advice.



People don't realise you are crushing afraid of everything unless you tell them, which is odd because it's pretty much the default state of the human condition.
If you are going to stay on at school, you might as well actually study.
It's okay to put yourself first now and then, it's putting yourself only that's wrong
You will always have a crap relationship with your Mum. Talk to your sister about it, she experienced the same thing, and it's not your fault.
If you meet a bloke called Nick, avoid him. He really is the scum of the earth and things will end in bloodshed.
You aren't the only one who has been through darkness, hiding in the shadows is not the best way out.
Vegetarianism isn't really enough.

[patientia]

1. Do not by any chance go to the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing. It might be called computer science, but there's no science there, just brain dumping. Study math instead.

2. Print Robert Hare's Psychopathy checklist and carry it with you, don't fall for superficial charm/manipulativeness.

3. You might lose best friends when they start envying you, it's OK, true friends will stick with you.

4. Go vegan now. Don't eat dormitory food.

5. Tell your mother now that if she hits you again, you'll hit back.

Bonus: Don't drink that much alcohol. One drink a day is OK. People around you might seem less boring when you're drunk, but it destroys your neurons.

[Declan]

-Go vegan
-Choose your friends carefully
-Think about universities outside Scotland. Argue with mum about doing the degree you actually want to do, instead of the one you're currently trapped in.
-Start listening to the Dresden Dolls now, while people still know who they are
-Avoid a certain Slovenian like the plague
-It'll be happy later on, I swear.

[Sarabi]

1. Read The Miracle of Mindfulness and get on with your life.
2. StevePavlina.com
3. Major in Culture & Politics
4. I love you.

[DiaShel]

- Be vegan
-get active and stay active
-don't go to binghamptom Uni
-stop messing with boys not worth your time
-be nicer to your parents
-don't be dependent on others

[BJJNick]

I'm going to go in the opposite direction that many of you went.

Advice:

"Nick, waste your time with MORE girls. Many many more girls!!"

That's pretty much it.

[helen105281]

Helen, make the most of your friendship with Penny, she won't be around forever.

[harpy]

"Nick, waste your time with MORE girls. Many many more girls!!"

Yes, actually I was thinking along the lines of "party as much as possible now and then you will have time to do some work when you get to college". I suppose if I'd done too much partying I wouldn't have got in, but there must have been a middle way.

And go vegan, of course, although I'm sure I'd not heard of the concept back then.

[Tigerlily]

-It's not your fault what happened to you
-It's going to happen to you again, but it's not your fault, just avoid a boy named **** like the plague
-Spend less time on the computer
-Don't start binge eating, it will only get harder to stop once you're older
-Don't smoke!
-Go vegan earlier (I actually went vegan at 17)

[cobweb]

*you have Borderline Personality Disorder - it doesn't sound too good but it's not that scary, get some professional help and advice asap.
*your body has to last you a long time, please be nice to it
*make the most of your intelligence - it's ok to have fun but try to lay down some foundations for your future
*try to see the bigger picture
*alcohol is your enemy, not your friend

[Glen Lambert]

1. Try harder when you get to college.

2. Speak to girls. They don't bite....unless you're lucky. Don't waste your time on Katy and Jo.

3. Have that thing looked at. It'll save you 18 months of being housebound and you won't wind up severely depressed either.

4. You'll follow Fugazi on tour many times. At a gig in Leeds look for a girl with long hair and glasses. It'll save you from meeting later on and you both won't have to keep wishing you'd found each other sooner.

5. Oh and on June 13th 1990 at 11:27..... Duck.

[JC]

5. Oh and on June 13th 1990 at 11:27..... Duck.

^ I literally LOL-ed at that one. (I apologise if it wasn't meant to be funny)

I actually have no advice for myself at 16. I have no regrets. It's now that i feel i could do with some advice from a future me, but logically i'm pretty sure that's not going to happen, so i guess i'll just have to figure it out for myself. As in, my 2010 self.

[LiveVegan]

1) Don't stay with someone just because he knocked you up.
2) Don't compromise your values....ever, especially over a jerk. See above.

[sandra]

I became vegetarian at 16............I would tell myself:-

1. Go vegan instead.
2. Don't date your driving instructor in 2 years time. :o
3. Stop worrying so much........it NEVER does happen.
4. Tell your mum and dad you love them every day.
5. Don't be so shy.
6. Don't worry about getting older (which back then meant 30 :D) things
actually get better with age. :)

[Cherry]

I think there are LOADS of things I'd do differently, but then things might not have worked out so well now.