I, myself, am young, only 22 years of age. But in my short span of time, I have learned much about the world but more importantly, myself. Learning and accepting yourself is the most important thing you can do in your young years. The quicker you do it, the more you can accomplish in the way of helping others and even possibly, changing the world. There are ultimately 4 pieces to the path to achieving this: ~Love yourself. ~Let your worries go. ~Have no regrets. ~Be happy. Loving yourself is your first task. It is a tricky thing, the edge of a knife, to love oneself but not be arrogant in it. I cannot tell you how to do this, as for every person it is different. For me, I came to realize that many of the things I did not like about myself could be changed. Some habits and thought processes need to change in order for a person to be happy. When you find yourself angry the majority of the time, snappy over everything the people around you do, perhaps it is time to take a step back and realize that the problem does not lie in those around you, but within your own heart. You don't have to love everything about yourself to love yourself, and this is something I can teach. To love yourself simply means accepting that which you cannot change, and working honestly to better the things you can. Knowing that as you are, you deserve peace, love and joy. Taking care of yourself and not just in the neccessary ways. Spoil yourself now and then. And always remember that if you wish to help others you must first help yourself. You cannot offer someone a hand up if yours is broken. Letting your worries go. I used to have this shortened, and it simply stated "no worries" but that, I realized, is an impossible goal. We are human, and we will worry and fret and analyze the fun out of a birthday cake if we think it is poisoned. So, the important thing here is to acknowledge the things that cause you stress, and prioritize them. The necessary things in one pile, and the "bullshit" in another. In the necessary pile would be things like paying your bills, getting to work, going through college (if that is a goal of yours), making sure you have food, and in the case of having children/pets, providing for them. Your friends, though they are important, can get along without you for a while. In the other pile would be things such as friends, going out, vices, habits, hobbies, relationships, etc. Those things that while nice, are not necessary to your physical well being. You must also learn to be mentally and emotionally well without them. An excerpt from the Dhammapada states: "All created things are grief and pain" He who knows and sees this Becomes passive in pain. This is the way that leads to purity. There will be pain in your life, but you must learn to let it go. Feel it, accept it, and either find a solution, or accept that you cannot change it and move on. This becomes easier with time as you realize what your individual priorities are. No regrets. Many people will tell you that this is impossible. Human beings will always have regrets. However, this is not true. We all have things that we wish that we would have done, or would not have done, BUT, what we realize is that we cannot change that which has already passed. It is one of the few things that truly is a waste of time, to mope and mourne something that cannot be changed and pine for it. Grief will eventually pass, and you can move on with your life. Now, in keeping with the first task, if you love yourself, This piece comes quite easily. Every event in your life, no matter how minor, has shaped the person that you are today. IF you truly love yourself, just as you are, how can you regret the things that made you that person? Ah, happiness. That thing we all strive for. We all want to be happy. Well, what's stopping you? Happiness is not a destination. Happiness is a state of being. Anger, Depression, Emptiness, Lonliness, these things are naturally fleeting. During these emotions, the brain is working harder, producing chemicals that slow your body down and numb you to the perceived grief. It is unhealthy to be in a negative state of mind for long periods of time. When you are happy, at peace, your brain produces all the chemicals it needs in balanced proportions and you will feel physically healthier because of your positive state of mind. The endorphins help a lot too Again, I am young. This I will not deny, and in many ways, I am still naive to the world and the ways in which it works. But I am working every day to grow as a person, to expand my reality. If my words have helped you in any way, I am so very glad that I could be of assistance. If you believe me to be an idiot, well, I can't really argue with you too much. I'm not quite all here sometimes. I'm not saying I'm right. I could be horribly horribly wrong, but these are some things that I probably could have stood to hear when I was younger, even if I didn't listen to them. Enjoy this new year and remember folks; "If it's good, it's wonderful. If it's bad, it's experience." I can't remember who said this, but the quote is one of my favorites. Now go out there and get some experience. We all could use a level up or two
