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Description
I’ve been told that if given a chance to relive their high school years, most adults would promptly turn it down—and yet I can’t  see myself wanting to give up my senior year. I’m eighteen, just old enough to get my own tattoo but young enough to cry my eyes out when my parents ground me for it.
These past four years have reoccurred for me over and over again as I mentor others, and even though I feel the pain of everyone that I’ve taught and spoke with, I feel their joy, too. As a teacher aide and co-leader of a popular club, I hear a lot of stories from all sorts of backgrounds. It wasn’t intended for me to become the wise shaman of everyone, the one that everyone runs to with their issues and joys, but it’s been an amazing job for me. I’ve learned so much in so little time, and I feel that before I graduate, I want to leave a list of things that I’ve learned. I hope that they can help others out when I’m not there.

1. Love is possible for everyone. I fell in love with the most popular, beautiful boy around and after being his honest, true friend for at least a year and watching him go in and out of relationships, I was completely heartbroken, but I stayed with him. You can’t give up on what you want! I remained his friend and stuck with him for the thick and thin, and one day he  just said his eyes opened and he realized that he loved me, too. Remember that you catch more butterflies with honey than vinegar—stay sweet to those you care about and you’ll never know what can come of it.

2. Take the chance when you can have it! It’s always better to look back at having too many stories (even if they’re horribly embarrassing) than to regret not having enough when it’s all said and done. Don’t take the safe route when the precarious one leads to what you really want. So many of the best choices I made were the ones I knew were hardest to do!

3. Follow your heart. If you can’t be happy with yourself, you can’t be happy with anyone else around you. Love until you can’t anymore and live so you can die laughing. Let yourself be happy, and make the choices that will get you there.

4. Don’t begrudge anyone in need. There’s an amazing karmic payoff in the smallest things, and you never know what it could be. Whenever possible, share your prosperity, knowledge, and help with those that need it. It just feels nice to give, anyway!

5. It’s never over. Never. No matter how much trouble you’re in, it will pass. You will smile again. Hardships exist to make brighter the blessings you receive.

6. Love your family and respect your parents. The fact that you lived past infanthood is proof they care. Your parents give up so much emotionally, physically, spiritually, and monetarily for you. They do love you, even if you frustrate them to no end sometimes. Always remember that, and treat them as the loving people they are. Don’t miss a chance to tell anyone in your family you love them and give them a hug. You're only a generation away from fighting out life on your own, so enjoy every moment you can have with the people that would give their life in a moment for you.

7. Every moment has a rainbow. Even when I was once having a panic attack in a bathroom at a mall, a stranger stopped and talked with me and told me that every moment has joy if we open our eyes to see it. Every moment happens only once, and there’s  no good reason to let ourselves suffer if we can help it. Catch yourself a smile. They’re everywhere.

8. Worrying is a waste of your time. Do what you need to do and just have faith that things will be okay! Have fun, do work, and deal with issues only as needed. Besides, who needs wrinkles popping up on their forehead in their twenties?

9. You are you, and no one else is. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says, you are the only opinion that counts in what you do and what you want. If friends try to tell you otherwise or try to shape you into something you’re not, they’re not your real friends. Embrace who you truly are—people will love you for it, and you will love yourself for it.

10. “Don’t dream it, be it”—a favorite quote of mine from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. If you want something, quit thinking about it and just go for it! If you believe, you can achieve (cheesy as it is, it’s totally true.) and so if you want to be  singer, an actor, a teacher, an astronaut, don’t let anyone say you can’t. It’s not impossible. You can do it! You can do anything!

Your experiences are yours- so go live them, regret nothing, and smile for tomorrow!

Best Wishes and Love Always,
Kittie Peters

Description
I’ve been told that if given a chance to relive their high school years, most adults would promptly turn it down—and yet I can’t  see myself wanting to give up my senior year. I’m eighteen, just old enough to get my own tattoo but young enough to cry my eyes out when my parents ground me for it.
These past four years have reoccurred for me over and over again as I mentor others, and even though I feel the pain of everyone that I’ve taught and spoke with, I feel their joy, too. As a teacher aide and co-leader of a popular club, I hear a lot of stories from all sorts of backgrounds. It wasn’t intended for me to become the wise shaman of everyone, the one that everyone runs to with their issues and joys, but it’s been an amazing job for me. I’ve learned so much in so little time, and I feel that before I graduate, I want to leave a list of things that I’ve learned. I hope that they can help others out when I’m not there.

1. Love is possible for everyone. I fell in love with the most popular, beautiful boy around and after being his honest, true friend for at least a year and watching him go in and out of relationships, I was completely heartbroken, but I stayed with him. You can’t give up on what you want! I remained his friend and stuck with him for the thick and thin, and one day he  just said his eyes opened and he realized that he loved me, too. Remember that you catch more butterflies with honey than vinegar—stay sweet to those you care about and you’ll never know what can come of it.

2. Take the chance when you can have it! It’s always better to look back at having too many stories (even if they’re horribly embarrassing) than to regret not having enough when it’s all said and done. Don’t take the safe route when the precarious one leads to what you really want. So many of the best choices I made were the ones I knew were hardest to do!

3. Follow your heart. If you can’t be happy with yourself, you can’t be happy with anyone else around you. Love until you can’t anymore and live so you can die laughing. Let yourself be happy, and make the choices that will get you there.

4. Don’t begrudge anyone in need. There’s an amazing karmic payoff in the smallest things, and you never know what it could be. Whenever possible, share your prosperity, knowledge, and help with those that need it. It just feels nice to give, anyway!

5. It’s never over. Never. No matter how much trouble you’re in, it will pass. You will smile again. Hardships exist to make brighter the blessings you receive.

6. Love your family and respect your parents. The fact that you lived past infanthood is proof they care. Your parents give up so much emotionally, physically, spiritually, and monetarily for you. They do love you, even if you frustrate them to no end sometimes. Always remember that, and treat them as the loving people they are. Don’t miss a chance to tell anyone in your family you love them and give them a hug. You're only a generation away from fighting out life on your own, so enjoy every moment you can have with the people that would give their life in a moment for you.

7. Every moment has a rainbow. Even when I was once having a panic attack in a bathroom at a mall, a stranger stopped and talked with me and told me that every moment has joy if we open our eyes to see it. Every moment happens only once, and there’s  no good reason to let ourselves suffer if we can help it. Catch yourself a smile. They’re everywhere.

8. Worrying is a waste of your time. Do what you need to do and just have faith that things will be okay! Have fun, do work, and deal with issues only as needed. Besides, who needs wrinkles popping up on their forehead in their twenties?

9. You are you, and no one else is. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says, you are the only opinion that counts in what you do and what you want. If friends try to tell you otherwise or try to shape you into something you’re not, they’re not your real friends. Embrace who you truly are—people will love you for it, and you will love yourself for it.

10. “Don’t dream it, be it”—a favorite quote of mine from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. If you want something, quit thinking about it and just go for it! If you believe, you can achieve (cheesy as it is, it’s totally true.) and so if you want to be  singer, an actor, a teacher, an astronaut, don’t let anyone say you can’t. It’s not impossible. You can do it! You can do anything!

Your experiences are yours- so go live them, regret nothing, and smile for tomorrow!

Best Wishes and Love Always,
Kittie Peters