10 Things I Would Tell Myself
Last week I began my senior year...wait, what?! Yes, senior year. I really do find it hard to believe. One more year of high school left, and as I reflect on the past three years I realize how much I've changed.
High school is all about growing. It's about making mistakes and learning from them, taking risks and sometimes failing or getting hurt. It's about discovering what makes you passionate. It's about learning about who you are and, more importantly, who God is.
I can't count the things God has revealed to me through circumstances, prayer, and people over the past three years. I hardly have all the answers, but I started to make a list. A list of things I would tell the frightened, innocent, and overwhelmed me as I walked through the doors of high school on my first day.
Some are silly, others are serious, all are things I've found to be true in my life experiences. Maybe you'll take my advice. Maybe you won't. Maybe my words will just provide you with a little entertainment for the next ten minutes. Do what you will or won't with them. So here they are, 10 things I would tell the freshman me.
1. Dress to Impress
Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate sweats and a t-shirt as much as the next person, but for myself I like to reserve them for a particular time and place. And by time and place I mean either athletic events or lounging around the house. How you present yourself makes a difference in how others perceive you. I'm not saying to dress simply to make other people like you, but it's not a bad thing to make a good impression in the way that you dress.
Plus paying a little more attention to my clothing choices would've made looking back at pictures from my freshman year slightly less painful.
I'm not talking a dress or suit every day, but maybe just swapping out that t-shirt for a blouse or a flannel. Girls, a classy heel or wedge is a great item to add to your wardrobe for special occasions. And guys, some nice khaki pants or a pair of fun colored shorts go a long way. You don't need to have a special occasion to look nice; the fact that God placed you here today for a purpose is occasion enough.
2. Smile When You Do Math
Some things are painful, and for me one of them is math. You'd be surprised how bearable it can be if you'll take a deep breath and smile. If you can still focus, maybe throw on some of your favorite music, or take a break to watch an inspiring or funny YouTube video. If you find ways to make it slightly more enjoyable, you might actually start to...like...math...(is that even possible?).
3. Eat What You Want
Don't go crazy, I'm not saying stock up on Cosmic Brownies and ice cream and have them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But it's okay to indulge every now and then. Life's too short not to get dessert.
4. You're Never Too Old for Fairy Tales
The dragons, the castles, the princes...fairy tales are golden.
5. Read for Fun
I know, I know, reading because you don't have to? You'll be surprised how fun it can be if you choose a book about something you're interested in. There are books on any subject you can think of. Not only does reading for fun keep your mind sharp, but you'll feel a sense of productivity and accomplishment as you move from chapter to chapter and eventually book to book rather than just catching another episode of Say Yes to the Dress.
I've also grown to love underlining and writing in the margins of books. (Note: this only applies if you own the book). Then I can look back on quotes which jumped out at me or how something I read applied to me at that particular time in my life. Some of my favorites from the past few years are:
6. Never Put Others Down in Public, Especially Those Not Present
Gossip is huge in high school. I've listened to it. I've done it. And not once, not once, has anything good ever come of it. We are called as believers to speak life into others' lives. Ephesians 4 says, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Use your words to build up, not tear down. Always go out of your way to say kind things about others in public.
7. Apologize
I cringe as I type this because I have pretty much failed at this. I've apologized, like really apologized, two times that I can remember. Pretty pathetic, huh? I wish so badly that this is something I would've done better. It can save so much hurt and only takes a little time and a lot of humility. Do it, and do it in person. And that leads to number 8...
8. Have Important Conversations in Person
This one is so important that I had to make it its own number. When you've hurt or wronged someone you care about, feel like you need to confront someone as their brother or sister in Christ, want to tell someone how much they mean to you, go to them. In person. Face-to-face. No exceptions. This communicates to the other person, "I care about you and respect you enough to come to you about this." You should be looking into their eyes, not at their contact on a phone screen.
I'm not talking anything crazy. Just pulling them aside in the parking lot after school. Just a "Hey, I'd love to talk to you. Want to hit up Sonic after volleyball practice?" Or my personal favorite, talking over two mugs at a good coffee shop.
Nothing big. Nothing extravagant. No steak dinners (I am on a high-school student budget...otherwise known as no budget). Just intentional time spent engaged in real, vulnerable, transparent conversation. Don't be afraid of deep or important conversations. In the words of John Mayer, "It's better to say too much than never to say what you need to say."
9. Spend Time With Just You and God
Take time out of your day to stop going, unplug, and simply sit in the presence of God. No distractions, just you and Him. Maybe it's playing guitar and singing a couple worship songs, maybe it's taking a walk down the street, maybe it's finding a spot to simply sit and pray. I know for me, there's a little swing set I go to when I need to hear Him. Wherever and whatever it is, make a date with God and keep it.
10. Submit Your Story to His
Recently God's been working in my heart on this area. The other day as I struggled to understand a circumstance in my life, I found myself praying, "God, this doesn't fit into my story. It's not how it was supposed to go."
At that moment, He made His voice undeniably clear to me: "It's not your story, it's Mine."
It's not my story, it's His story. It's about giving everything for a purpose greater than myself. And let me tell you, every time I've surrendered my will to His, though it's been difficult and painful at times, it's been more than worth it.
So as I begin my senior year, as I plan my college and career and my future, I will write only in pencil because it's His story, not mine.
High school is all about growing. It's about making mistakes and learning from them, taking risks and sometimes failing or getting hurt. It's about discovering what makes you passionate. It's about learning about who you are and, more importantly, who God is.
I can't count the things God has revealed to me through circumstances, prayer, and people over the past three years. I hardly have all the answers, but I started to make a list. A list of things I would tell the frightened, innocent, and overwhelmed me as I walked through the doors of high school on my first day.
Some are silly, others are serious, all are things I've found to be true in my life experiences. Maybe you'll take my advice. Maybe you won't. Maybe my words will just provide you with a little entertainment for the next ten minutes. Do what you will or won't with them. So here they are, 10 things I would tell the freshman me.
10 Things I Would Tell Myself as a Freshman
1. Dress to Impress
Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate sweats and a t-shirt as much as the next person, but for myself I like to reserve them for a particular time and place. And by time and place I mean either athletic events or lounging around the house. How you present yourself makes a difference in how others perceive you. I'm not saying to dress simply to make other people like you, but it's not a bad thing to make a good impression in the way that you dress.
Plus paying a little more attention to my clothing choices would've made looking back at pictures from my freshman year slightly less painful.
I'm not talking a dress or suit every day, but maybe just swapping out that t-shirt for a blouse or a flannel. Girls, a classy heel or wedge is a great item to add to your wardrobe for special occasions. And guys, some nice khaki pants or a pair of fun colored shorts go a long way. You don't need to have a special occasion to look nice; the fact that God placed you here today for a purpose is occasion enough.
2. Smile When You Do Math
Some things are painful, and for me one of them is math. You'd be surprised how bearable it can be if you'll take a deep breath and smile. If you can still focus, maybe throw on some of your favorite music, or take a break to watch an inspiring or funny YouTube video. If you find ways to make it slightly more enjoyable, you might actually start to...like...math...(is that even possible?).
3. Eat What You Want
Don't go crazy, I'm not saying stock up on Cosmic Brownies and ice cream and have them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But it's okay to indulge every now and then. Life's too short not to get dessert.
4. You're Never Too Old for Fairy Tales
The dragons, the castles, the princes...fairy tales are golden.
"Fairy tales are more than true, not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." -G.K. Chesterton
5. Read for Fun
I know, I know, reading because you don't have to? You'll be surprised how fun it can be if you choose a book about something you're interested in. There are books on any subject you can think of. Not only does reading for fun keep your mind sharp, but you'll feel a sense of productivity and accomplishment as you move from chapter to chapter and eventually book to book rather than just catching another episode of Say Yes to the Dress.
I've also grown to love underlining and writing in the margins of books. (Note: this only applies if you own the book). Then I can look back on quotes which jumped out at me or how something I read applied to me at that particular time in my life. Some of my favorites from the past few years are:
- Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
- Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
- The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
- When God Writes Your Love Story by Eric and Leslie Ludy
- Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer
- Pretty much any and all Karen Kingsbury
6. Never Put Others Down in Public, Especially Those Not Present
Gossip is huge in high school. I've listened to it. I've done it. And not once, not once, has anything good ever come of it. We are called as believers to speak life into others' lives. Ephesians 4 says, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Use your words to build up, not tear down. Always go out of your way to say kind things about others in public.
"Be loyal to those who are not present. In doing so, you are building the trust of those who are present." - Stephen Covey
7. Apologize
I cringe as I type this because I have pretty much failed at this. I've apologized, like really apologized, two times that I can remember. Pretty pathetic, huh? I wish so badly that this is something I would've done better. It can save so much hurt and only takes a little time and a lot of humility. Do it, and do it in person. And that leads to number 8...
8. Have Important Conversations in Person
This one is so important that I had to make it its own number. When you've hurt or wronged someone you care about, feel like you need to confront someone as their brother or sister in Christ, want to tell someone how much they mean to you, go to them. In person. Face-to-face. No exceptions. This communicates to the other person, "I care about you and respect you enough to come to you about this." You should be looking into their eyes, not at their contact on a phone screen.
I'm not talking anything crazy. Just pulling them aside in the parking lot after school. Just a "Hey, I'd love to talk to you. Want to hit up Sonic after volleyball practice?" Or my personal favorite, talking over two mugs at a good coffee shop.
Nothing big. Nothing extravagant. No steak dinners (I am on a high-school student budget...otherwise known as no budget). Just intentional time spent engaged in real, vulnerable, transparent conversation. Don't be afraid of deep or important conversations. In the words of John Mayer, "It's better to say too much than never to say what you need to say."
9. Spend Time With Just You and God
Take time out of your day to stop going, unplug, and simply sit in the presence of God. No distractions, just you and Him. Maybe it's playing guitar and singing a couple worship songs, maybe it's taking a walk down the street, maybe it's finding a spot to simply sit and pray. I know for me, there's a little swing set I go to when I need to hear Him. Wherever and whatever it is, make a date with God and keep it.
10. Submit Your Story to His
Recently God's been working in my heart on this area. The other day as I struggled to understand a circumstance in my life, I found myself praying, "God, this doesn't fit into my story. It's not how it was supposed to go."
At that moment, He made His voice undeniably clear to me: "It's not your story, it's Mine."
It's not my story, it's His story. It's about giving everything for a purpose greater than myself. And let me tell you, every time I've surrendered my will to His, though it's been difficult and painful at times, it's been more than worth it.
So as I begin my senior year, as I plan my college and career and my future, I will write only in pencil because it's His story, not mine.
 |
| Our Senior Squad decked out for Warfield Wednesday, just because Coach Warfield is the best. |
