Everything happens for a reason. Here's what I wish I knew at 18.

Work hard.

Your grind is what makes you. I know school totally sucks right now, but you’ll thank yourself when you’re walking across that stage in 4 years. Study your ass off, ma.

Your body is a temple.

Take care of yourself. Don’t skip a meal, ever. Drink more water. Condition your hair. Exfoliate. Moisturize. And most importantly, don’t give your body to some insignificant boy whose name you won’t remember 5 years from now.

Fall in love with yourself, not a boy.

Stop stressing over some f***boy. He deadass ain’t shit if he can’t realize what he has in front of him. I haven’t met 1 boy who’s actually ready for commitment. So instead of trying to change him, forget his ass and look in the mirror. Do you see that beautiful girl smiling back at you? Cherish her. And don’t ever give up on her. This is not the time to settle down, anyway. This is the time to find yourself and to have fun living the life you want to live. Be a young, free spirit, like you’re meant to be.

Gurl gang.

Find your girls, the ones who are there for you through whatever, will tell you when you have food in your teeth, who tell you how it is, who just make you a better you. They’ll be there through all the heartbreaks with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.

Stop comparing.

Stop comparing yourself to others. You're beautiful. Every inch of you. Put your weave in. Beat your face. Put those heels on. Sllllaaaay, girl.

Unplug.

Take a break from your damn phone. You don’t even realize how much time you waste just scrolling through social media. I couldn’t tell you how many people’s pictures I “like” but don’t even talk to in person. Stop wasting your time and start living. There's a whole world in front of you, go out and experience it.

Prioritize.

Spend more time with your family, and less time with those bad influences you call your friends.I have a completely different friend group now than I did when I was a teenager. One day you kind of just realize who’s there to stay, and who’s there just for the time being. Figure it out and cut those people out of your life.

Karma.

It’s a beautiful thing. When people do you wrong, instead of reacting and making it into a worse situation, just cut them off & move on. Karma doesn’t sleep on anyone. I can’t even count on 2 hands how many people from my past who’ve done me dirty, have ended up doing nothing with their lives and going nowhere. Be thankful they did you wrong, they gave you an excuse to exit their lives.

Everything happens for a reason.

There were so many times where I was so upset over something mediocre, yet I didn’t know how I was going to make it through the day. Shit happens, but life also goes on. It literally doesn’t stop for anything. So once you realize that, you learn to let shit go and move forward. I’ll never understand why bad things happen to good people, but that’s just life and it makes us into the people we’re supposed to become. Trust your journey. You are right where you’re supposed to be.