Over the past five years, a lot has happened in my life. There have been many ups and many downs. It has been a wild ride with a lot of amazing experiences that I will never be able to forget. I know that I am very young and I still have a lot of life to live, but I feel as though I have learned several important things that probably would have helped me out when I was younger.

The first important piece of advice that I would give myself if I could go back in time would be to stop stressing out so much. I still try to work on this now, and I know that life does get stressful! However, I feel as though we all can learn from the past. That presentation that I was so nervous for in high school? It is not even a part of my thinking now. An argument I had with my friend? It’s most likely resolved in some way. The point is that if you will not be stressing about it in five years, then why stress about it now? Letting the flow of life take the lead only helps us grow.

The next piece of advice that I would give to my younger self would be to appreciate all the time I get to spend with the people who are most important to me. My dog recently passed away, and I occasionally still get emotional about how much I miss her. I know that I would give anything to be able to take her on a walk one more time. In the present, I can say that making every moment count can help us all live a fulfilling life.

The third and final piece of advice that I would give to my younger self would be to trust my instincts and follow my heart, no matter what other people want for me. It is important to listen to what is inside of us and stay true to who we are, regardless of what anyone else thinks.