The Hopewell House

+ You will still be just as clumsy and awkward at 25 as you were at 16...Somethings will just never change. 

+ Life will not one day become purely black & white nor will it be all rainbows & sunshine...there are so many grey areas you will have to work through and you may never completely understand these areas. Life is also tough...really tough... and you will at times have to make difficult decisions that do not always give direct or exact answers. 

+ Your not perfect, you never will be...that's totally okay. 

+ You won't always say what is right nor do what is acceptable in other people's eyes. You are who you are for a reason and you are so wonderfully made. Let those haters hate and don't worry that everyone won't like you. "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind" Be true to yourself and don't worry about following the crowd. You'll find friends who understand you and love you unconditionally; you don't have to worry about impressing anyone else.

+ Speaking of friends, you'll make a lot of them. As the years pass, things will look differently and people will change. You'll win some, you'll lose some, but the ones who are true and authentic will stick around in the long run and your new ones will be lifelong. 

+ Learn to rely on other people; you don't always have to be in control. It's okay to ask for help and it's okay to lean on other people. That's why these people in your life are called friends & family...they love you and they are here for you. They only want to see you thrive and become all you were meant to be; their criticism and advice is mostly good, take that advice!

+ All those years slacking, yeah, you are an idiot. But that's okay, you'll learn from all the things you didn't do and it will only challenge you to do all the things that lie before you. These slacking years are going to make you a stronger person, I know it.

+ Have fun! Life is just too short to fret and worry. You'll learn that life can be taken away way too early and that in life  you must learn to seize every moment. Don't let those times pass you by, embrace them and live them fully! {Invest in those people who are in your life}

+ Save your money! Don't spend it on all that silly stuff. If you could only have learned how to save in high school you would have prepared yourself so much better as an adult. 

+ You will marry a really awesome guy one day. Don't worry about needing to be in relationships and don't fret over your insecurities/faults. Your husband will love you just as you are and for who you are; you won't need to prove anything to him. He loves your heart and your quirkiness and he sees past any of your many faults. 

He's also a lot of fun and you guys will have a blast together; wait for him, he's worth it!  

+ Life at 16 will not be your life at 25...things are going to change and they will only change for the better. Learn, Grow, Love, Cry, Laugh, Embrace, Fulfill, Adapt, Challenge,Motivate, Persevere... You're in for a roller coaster of a journey {and emotions}, get ready to hang on for the ride!