Growing up is hard because every step you take is slowly moving you farther away from home. The values and morals that were woven into you at an early age will be tested and the truths you put on pedestals stand to potentially be knocked down and replaced. This can be an uncomfortable period in your life with the child and adult inside you wrestling, frequently causing you to lose balance. Although you may feel lost, anxious and invisible at times, don’t pay these visitors too much attention, because this is only the beginning. You have a whole lifetime to grow into yourself. So without further delay here are eight pieces of advice on growing up that will ease this process.

1. It's OK to be right, but try to figure out where you are wrong.

Being right is like romping around in your favorite pair of shoes. The sturdy foundation they provide makes you stand tall and confident and slipping into the pair is like taking a hot sip of coffee, warm and familiar. Although it can be difficult to accept, or notice, when the edges start to tire and become weary from the many footfalls over rough and pitted terrain, it is important to realize when a pair of shoes has run its course. It is OK to not have the answers anymore or to lose a little ground. We may brush off the need for change because it is hard to let go of the ideas and convictions that once moved and molded us, yet this is an important skill to acquire. It will teach you how to go forward and wrap your arms around change as the steps you take become wiser and more thoughtful. Remember every time you find yourself to be wrong that in turn creates space for you to craft new thoughts and perspectives. It is an opportunity to dance and run free.

2. Make connections with people who see the world differently than you.

Not one person walks down the street with the same thoughts roaming their head as you. The way you feel sunlight as it caresses your face, hear heartache knocking at your door or share a moment of laughter with a friend will be different than any other human. Throughout life one of the most beautiful experiences is to give strangers and unfamiliar faces a moment to draw out their views for you. This is not only a potent catalyst for growth, but also for falling in love with new people, places, and ideas. While meeting someone different can be uncomfortable and even scary at first, if you allow yourself to become vulnerable to them it will change the way you see the world. Everyone has a different story of childhood, growing up in a big or small community and times of happiness and great upheavals. Be kind and open to letting new life into your home no matter how starkly different their perspective is. In the end, their stories will knit into your own and broaden your horizon.

3. Try things on the opposite end of the spectrum.

It doesn’t matter if you are a mathematician who prefers to let the hours tick by solving intricate problems or a musician that is most complacent gently plucking out earthy acoustic melodies, there is always something to be gained from attempting to do something you have never done before. If you enjoy calculus, then it may be worth your while to join a slam poetry club. On the flip side, if you have an innate creativity persistently weaving stories in the attic of your mind, then taking the time to develop a broad and practical sense of the world through science, math or history may help you better refine and develop ideas. Keep in mind that every new branch of study explored is raw material for your brain to play and create with. Every subject opens a bright window of opportunity to the next one and the more you know and experience, the more vast and detailed your life painting will be.

4. Spend time by yourself.

The more time you spend alone the more familiar the hallways and corridors in your mind will become as you will learn better navigate them. Throughout life, there will be many goodbyes and hellos as old names scurry off the tip of your tongue for the final time and new ones rush in leaving a sweet taste in your mouth. There will be highs and lows, twists and turns, sunny afternoons and rainy days where you will have to be content with being alone. It is as simple as running to the grocery store by yourself or opting to go to a restaurant without inviting a friend along. Doing activities on your own will instill a sense of independence in you and will lead to more confidence and understanding of your own capabilities and emotions down the road. It will help you become more at ease and flexible when facing life’s challenges because you will be more in tune with how and why you act and feel in certain ways. Eventually, you will realize that your best friend was always with you from day one. You were never alone.

5. Know that you are capable of more than you allow yourself to be.

You are constantly going to be surrounded by people at different stages in life, be it older adults or people close to your age. With social media allowing for instant uploads of everyone’s latest accomplishments, it is easy to become overwhelmed and even intimidated. You may observe the way your mother or father gracefully gets up in the morning, turns on the tea kettle, heads to work and comes home, the sound of the door warmly clicking behind them, or one of your friends posting on Facebook about their fancy new position at a prestigious business and you may think to yourself, “I could never do that.” Remember this, though, you are your only obstacle to achieving happiness and success. No one is born with superhuman powers that make them capable of writing perfect papers, solving complex problems or playing music like it is as natural as breathing. Anyone can do anything and the only barrier is being able to put forth some willpower and finding the courage to believe in yourself. As A.A. Milne’s Christopher Robin would say, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

6. It's OK to feel broken, you are on the right path.

There are going to be days where you regret every step you’ve taken and nights you can’t sleep because your head is on rewind. Let it all go, the past is a song that has already been sung. There is still time for you to forge the path you want to take or retrace your footprints. It is never too late to open your head and heart to something new. Everyone moves at varying paces and no road from point A to point B is a straight line. So if you are feeling lost it may be time to slow down and simply breathe. Everything is going to be OK and you will figure it all out in time.

7. Love yourself.

Things are going to continually change as you are trying to find your place, but you have always been the place. Take care of yourself first because once you do that then you will be able to appreciate other people and opportunities more deeply. It has been said many times, but you truly cannot love or respect another person or thing until you learn to love and respect yourself.

8. Don't overthink it.

Along the way we all end up thinking way too much, becoming tempted to fill in the blanks when we don’t have the answers. We train our minds to dissect the words and actions of others like detectives, magnifying glasses in hand, tripping over the small cracks and bumps in the street. Instead of wasting your time contemplating the motives of others and anticipating outcomes you can’t control, take a hot bath or go for a crisp walk. Clear your mind because the universe is an author curled up somewhere busy writing far grander a story than you or I could ever imagine.