its okay to be young

Enjoy This Season:

If you are younger than 21, you may have been undervalued or treated with contempt due to your age. While people might treat you poorly, remember that their behavior does not define you. In fact, there is no need to rush this season in your life. It is okay to be young.

If you have had an older sibling, watched others display the freedom and benefits of being older, or felt trapped in a box because you have fewer freedoms, you might disagree with my claims. However, consider that being young is an opportunity to learn many valuable lessons that will help you in the future.

No one was born as an adult. Every adult grew up and made mistakes along the way, too. Do not allow mean behavior from someone else to change your character. Instead of hating this season, smile because there are great lessons to learn at this time in your life.

Valuable Lessons to Learn When You Are Young:

Respect

Learning to respect your elders might seem dull and difficult, but it is crucial. You might have unreasonable elders who behave in crazy, stupid, or weird ways, but you can still respect them. Respecting someone does not mean that you agree with, follow, or promote their behavior. But it means that you acknowledge her worth as a human being and value her experience. It means that you are being humble. Doing this promotes order in society. People are more receptive to feedback from respectful people, also. Respect affects family relationships, friendships, academic relationships, career success, etc. In fact, I think respect affects every area of your life. So if you learn it now, you will definitely benefit when you are older.

Humility

When you are young, you might feel that people do not value what you say enough. But even if they do, you benefit when you humble yourself and do not assume you know everything. I agree with the saying,“the more you know, the more you realize you don’t know” and consider it applicable to people of all ages. So when you are young, you might think you know a lot, but you will be wise to assume you do not know much. There is no need to know everything right now, though it is good to keep learning. Learning is a lifelong process, and a humble mindset helps you learn more.

Learning from others’ big mistakes

People make mistakes. But why repeat the tragic mistakes of your elders or even those your age? Learn from their mistakes. If you can, ask questions. What led them to make those mistakes? What is their perspective? However, do not judge them because you might be in the same situation later. If you are ever in the same situation, you can make better decisions that help others. You can also learn from your own mistakes.

These are not the only lessons to learn when you are young. But I think applying these three lessons can steer you in the right direction. However, I think people of all ages, including me can benefit from this advice. I have learned that many problems are avoidable with respect, humility, and learning from others' mistakes. May you be blessed.

Yours Truly,

Dear Youth Global

Elizabeth Hart