Monday Morning Motivation – I love my body
One of the (many) reasons why I never learned to swim as a teenager was because of hang-ups about my body. If I could go back in time, I’d tell myself that unless I exercised, I’d be stuck with the body I hated forever. I’d also tell myself that there isn’t a significant correlation between body weight and composition and swimming performance. Being fat didn’t necessarily mean that I wouldn’t be a good swimmer.
If you could go back in time, what would you tell your teenage self?
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Be more confident. Who cares what other people think? Took me to 30 to realise!
I’m totally with you on that one. One of my mum’ favourite phrases when I was growing up was, “Looks are only skin-deep, it’s charm and personality that count!” …it’s just a shame that most teenage girls don’t live by that!
Enjoy the ride, but slow down!
Too true! I think I wished my teenage years away, but would love to be able to go back to that time.
Love your freckles.
As a person of color, I was teased about my freckles and called a white girl because black people don’t have freckles (ignorant people!). I spent years and lots of money on make up to cover up my freckles 🙁
Not any more!
Great advice. I’m glad you’ve been able to embrace your freckles 🙂
Love them now ;).
If I could go back, I would have challenged myself more in high school and focused less on a part time job 😉
Yet another comment that I can identify with – I think I need all of you to come back in time with me and share your wisdom! From 15-22 I did some rubbish part time jobs that paid me a small amount of money, but I could have got better jobs and been paid more as well as adding useful experience to my CV… or better yet, I could have knuckled down and achieved significantly better grades. Another one to chalk up to experience! 🙂
Definitely be more confident- in front of boys, teachers, friends, on the playing field and track. Confidence is key! Thanks for this post! 🙂
Good recommendation… and one that I still need to remind myself! Thank you.
At 130 pounds in high school i always thought I was too fat. I would like to tell that self just to enjoy that cute lil body while it lasted lol 😉
I hear you on that one. My lovely older sister used to tell me that I was fat because she was a UK size 6-8 (US 2-4) and I was a UK size 10-12 (US 6-8). I’d love to have the figure I had as a 15 year old!
I’d tell myself to quit being a bench sitting member of the soccer team and switch to cross country. Oh the things I could have accomplished if I’d realized I was fast then!! Took me 30 more years to learn it!
Good advice. I don’t think I’ll ever count as fast, but I wish I’d taken up sports when I was younger as it has a lasting impact on your health and fitness levels. My husband was a competitive 800m and 1500m runner as a teenager, so it didn’t take him long to get back to running at a good level, whereas I didn’t run as a teenager, so I had no base to build on.
Not to follow the “career path” but to do what I loved.
I think it’s a shame that young people are pressured into making life-changing decisions at such a young age. I chose my degree at 16 and had graduated by 20… but if I’d had a year or two to grow up and consider my choices, I may have chosen a very different path, which may not have included a degree.
Later, I was tutor to a a group of incredibly able students who were all expected to go to university. I’m glad that I backed the ones who didn’t want to go, even though it meant having some tough conversations with their parents.
I’ve not been brave enough to escape the rat race entirely. It took me a long time to deal with the fact that my salary and my worth are not the same thing, but I am starting to consider how I can have a life/career that makes me happy.
Fortunately in Australia it’s easier to change career path than in many other countries. Largely due to the way university is funded and the lax approach our universities take to teaching (attendance is rarely compulsory and no more than 12 hours per week on a full time load). Oh and a culture that doesn’t think too highly of good grades helps too (a student graduating with high grades is generally thought to have spent years in a library rather than getting life experience). I agree though that kids shouldn’t have to make life decisions before they know what life is. Sure, we all think we are wise at 16-18 years old buy really we’re still kids. 🙂