Reader Requests Day 1: Message to my younger self

I recently posed a question to my readers, to ask if there were any topics they would like to see me cover here. The lovely Miss Rachel suggested this topic. What would you tell your younger self?
Talk about a loaded question...
Hindsight is always 20/20, that we know. So it's easy to look back on your past and see missed opportunities, mistakes, and more. Ideally, we hope to learn from those things, and continue to grow and improve. I like to think that the choices we make develop us into the people we are supposed to be, and that the paths we take guide us to the right roads. Even if that path isn't always a direct, smooth, clearly marked trail. But what if we could go back? What if we could follow a wrinkle in time, and tell our younger selves 10 things? What would they be? Here is what I would tell myself...

1. Don't underestimate yourself so much. You ARE capable of great things, you just have to believe you are. There is no shame in failing, only in not trying. And I would tell myself to repeat this over and over, until I believed it.

2. Take more risks. This is funny because as a reckless, stubborn teen, I thought I took so many risks. And I did, but I should and could have taken more. Whether it's dating someone you normally wouldn't, trying out a new hairstyle, spontaneous traveling, or just taking more leaps of faith, there are always worthwhile risks to take.

3. Do better in school. Education is important, but as a kid, you underestimate just how important, until it's too late. We make excuses, and think we can just "figure it out" later. Until later arrives, and you realize it's too late to go back and fix it now.  

4. Love your body. If I could go back and tell my 16 year old self to take off that t-shirt, and proudly rock that bikini, I SO would. We spend so much of our lives hating our bodies, and by the time we figure out how to love them, the best parts could be long gone. (Abs of steel, I'm referring to you.)

5. Take good photographs. In this day and age of selfies, and cell phone cameras, that advice seems silly. But in my youth, I didn't carry around a camera 24-7, and while some moments were captured too well (there goes my political career) other moments went by without any fanfare. We all like to think we'll remember everything forever, but the truth is... memories fade, people leave, and moments are forgotten over time. Photos are a legacy we leave behind, and treasures we share. Take good ones, you'll be grateful you have them someday.

6. Spend more time with your grandparents. I saw mine often as a kid, but then you hit your teen years, and you get "too busy" to attend all those "boring" family functions. While I have many wonderful memories with my grandparents, I could have more, and I wish I did. Since their passing, I have learned so many interesting facts about their lives, and I wish I had taken more time just to sit and talk to them.

7. Go to more museums, concerts, and cultural events. I've always appreciated the arts, in all forms, but I often overlooked opportunities to experience them because I thought there was something more exciting to do. Regardless of where you live, there are always places to enjoy history and culture, and you will have more time in your younger years to do these things, and it will open up your world in ways you did not know were possible.

8. Try new things. Foods, music, fashions, jobs, hobbies, and more. It is so easy to get stuck in a comfortable rut, and before you know it, you refuse to wear anything that isn't blue, or eat at restaurants that don't serve burgers and fries. It doesn't matter if you hate it, it only matters that you tried it, and allowed yourself to have the experience.

9. Learn to play an instrument. For years my mother tried to get my brothers and I to take music lessons, and we adamantly refused. (Though my one brother did do school band for a few years, I'm not sure he learned much more than how to rudely wake us up using his trumpet.) Music is medicine to the soul, and the creative part of me wishes I could sit down at a piano, or pick up a fiddle, and express myself through beautiful melodies. It will never hurt you to learn to play music, so even if it is just to start a garage band, and dream of becoming famous... do it.

10. Volunteer more. I've always loved volunteering, and helping others, and for many years, I did it quite regularly. But then you hit a certain age, where charity becomes something easy to blow off to spend more time with your friends. And as an adult, it's often hard to make time to do this if you aren't in the habit of it. Giving back is so important, and it gives you great perspective on life.

I'm sure there are many, more profound things I should tell myself, but these are things I often still find myself struggling with, or thinking about as an adult. And I'm sure this list would vary from person to person, based off of experiences. Many lessons most people don't learn until much later in life, I learned early on, so if you don't see them on this list, it's because my teen (and 20 something) self already knew them. And years from now, if I make a list to my younger (30-40 something) self, I'm certain it will be very different too.