I have to start by saying that I am massive hypocrite, I love to give advice but I never take my own. Yet, I have to also say that I am not alone. Our whole generation are hypocrites. According to ourselves, we are all fountains of knowledge, whether it be on friends, love or where has the best cheesy chips. I love giving advice. I usually perform the ‘dramatic hand up, other hand pats back, head juts forward’ combo with a little bit of a patronising “I’ve seen or done it all.” That, of course, is a big fat lie. In my nineteen years on earth, in my little privileged life, I have not in fact ‘seen it all.’ That being said, here are some pieces of advice I would give my younger self.

Love yourself. It isn’t just some stupid motto that is constantly overused in pop songs and the solution to every problem in a Rom-Com. It is something that you have to fully comprehend. I’m not saying that you have to adore yourself, but if you could work within a spectrum of tolerating to loving, you could be significantly happier. It’s not easy, and I don’t think I am even there now, but what is the harm in trying?

Do not overthink everything. Be spontaneous, but not too spontaneous. Allow yourself to have fun, act in the moment, do not think of the consequences. But then don’t do anything idiotic like jump off a roof. If there is more than a 60% chance of it ending badly, than it’s probably ‘too spontaneous.’

Have no regrets, everything is an experience. There are bad experiences and good experiences, but the thing about experiences is that we learn from them. In most cases, you have to repeat the experience once or twice, however you will eventually learn. I came to the conclusion that all the so-called ‘bad things’ that happened to me, allowed me to empathise with other people. I was entirely too optimistic, but at least it allowed me not to break down about doing something terribly foolish.

Be a kid because you are a kid. Whether or not this makes much sense to anyone else, I don’t know, but hopefully my avant-garde stream of conscious will be decipherable if time travel is ever invented and I can actually tell this to my former self.

 

Hannah Simpson-Orlebar

Image Credit: Cresent