Here’s what I would do If I was 15 again…

What would you do if you went back in time and you were 15 again?

This tweet was stolen and recycled quite a few times on my twitter timeline so I thought I’d weigh in.

01. What I WOULD do at 15:

Let me tell you right now, you truly could not pay me to be 15 again. It’s such a confusing, awkward, and scary time. Now, if I HAD TO DO It—here’s what I’d do:

1. Stop caring about what people at school think.

   We’re all dumb teenagers. Nothing matters.

2. Pick up as many hobbies and skills as I can, like:

   1. Learning an instrument

   2. Learning how to code

   3. Starting design/media skills earlier

   Basically just take advantage of the extra time, energy, and patience I have.

3. Start applying for scholarships + more opportunities now

   1. I won $65K+ in scholarships already but some people are winning thousands of dollars as literal 5th graders. I want more money and less stress by giving myself more time to win.

   2. Beyond just scholarships, there are internships, travel opportunities, study abroad programs, and MORE! There’s also so much money to be had in the digital content creation and business space. I would’ve aimed bigger, SOONER.

4. Start self-care/self help WAY EARLIER

   1. A major block I hit in my 20’s was realizing that I could not just zap away trauma by pretending it didn’t happen. I bottled everything I felt and it all exploded once the stakes were higher in college. It sucked. Still trying to heal from it. Wish I could’ve got the drop on my emotions sooner. Probably would’ve started off with:

      1. Reading self-help books and watching videos

      2. Journaling

      3. Actually processing my emotions instead of perceiving them as a weakness

      4. Practicing meditation and yoga

Note to reader: if y’all are interested in self-help and mental health resources, comment and I can put together a list of things that have been helping me in my journey. If not…that’s cool too.

02. What I did RIGHT at 15

AKA: How I earned over $65K in scholarships, became the first in my family to graduate college (debt-free,) and started a business right after graduation. 

1. Started exploring my passions earlier so I knew what I wanted to do later on in life. I did this by—

   1. Following my interests with whatever I had at the time.

      1. For example, I became super passionate about online games like Club Penguin and I started a blog with video game tutorials and cheat codes. I learned how to use site builders and do basic HTML coding all because I was obsessed with making my blogs look cute!

      2. When I took web design courses in college I was able to breeze through them because I was building websites at age 12 so I could share Club Penguin tips and hacks. 

   2. Learning about different careers through the internet.

      1.  I watched a ton of videos as a kid and a lot of them had to do with media, music, and art. I watched creators talk about their passions which included how they got interested in the field, their path to pursuing their dreams, and what life was like after attaining it. 

      2. This helped me get a good idea about the steps I would take to pursue something similar! It also helped narrow down what I wanted to do. I thought I was super passionate about being a lawyer until I watched “Day in the Life: Law School” videos and realized that law school would be actual hell for me. Explore different paths freely and if it’s not for you, just jump to the next!

2. Starting scholarships BEFORE senior year

   1. I would start scholarships WAY earlier than I did, but I still managed to get a head start by starting as a junior. One of the biggest money blocking myths is that you can’t start scholarships until you’re a senior in high school. (Check out my free resources tab for more information on how to start)

3. Not trying to fit in

   1. I was a weird kid. Never really had a chance of fitting in with other kids because I moved around a ton and once I finally stayed at one school I was always afraid I’d have to move again. I tried my best to just blend in the background and just focus on doing all the little weird hobbies that I picked up as a child. Don’t get me wrong, there are some downsides to this. But looking back, the beautiful thing that happened was that I was able to preserve a lot of my uniqueness. I’m able to make money and fund all my goofy little hobbies now because I was never pressured to change. It’s important to pick up social skills, but I think a lot of kids lose their spark because it isn’t cool to be weird or different. 

4. Getting involved in a lot of extracurriculars

   1. Because I didn’t have a lot of friends (see above reason LMAO) I had to keep myself busy with a lot of activities. Having extracurriculars under your belt is not only a great way to stand out on scholarship and college applications, but it also gives you so much EXPERIENCE. I was able to break out of my shell by being forced to perform and speak publically through different activities I was involved in. 

03. What you SHOULD NOT do after reading this:

Don’t read this and start freaking out about life and thinking that you’re behind.

Don’t worry about getting everything right as a teenager. Even as a twenty-something-year-old.

You’re going to mess up.

You’re going to worry about dumb things.

It’s life.

You’ll end up going to college or pursuing some other path and you will go on to continue to make mistakes.

Mistakes are not bad. Failure is not bad. Choosing to NOT live your life because you’re afraid of mistakes and failure IS bad.

04. Bonus: some of the biggest mistakes you could make (as a teenager)

Lo’s personal rule book. You can disagree with me but I don’t care. Take it up with ya mama:

• Don’t get started with drugs and alcohol, especially if you have a family history of addiction. 

• Don’t get pregnant or get anybody pregnant.

• Don’t make major life decisions based on a boyfriend/girlfriend/partner

• Don’t get into credit card debt

• Don’t hang around the wrong crowd. It just takes one moment to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Don’t even give the universe the chance to catch you slipping.

• Don’t fall down any crazy online pipelines. Seek out information. Don’t live in an echo chamber. Check-in with your beliefs every now and then.

A final note: Just remember to pace yourself and do what you CAN to give yourself the best foot forward in life. 

And before you go… just remember to breathe.