We are at a time in our lives when some of us are screwing up left and right and others seem to have it all figured out. We are just getting started with life, and we do not need to have everything figured out. However, we could use some guidance every now and then, so here is some advice for all those hot-messes out there who are still figuring it out.

Alex Rodgers

If I were to look back on my life and pinpoint one single piece of advice that I found the most useful it would have to be something that my Physical Science teacher from the eighth grade told me. Right after I had finished up the EOCT, she and I were talking with a few other kids about what we wanted to do when we were older, and right in the middle of the conversation, she interrupted us to say, “Kids, you have to try and reach as high as you want to, but in that you, also can’t be afraid of falling right on your face.” Given that I have always worked as hard as I can while still allowing my mind to have wild and crazy dreams about what I want to do when I am older. Some of the ideas I have had are kind of crazy, but those crazy thoughts are what fuel me to keep trying and making something completely unrealistic realistic.

Amanda Lewsader

The best advice that I have received was to always just be myself no matter what. I tend to get stressed out, and I always get tense when something is wrong. I’ve tried changing who I am, and it just made me feel worse about myself. Some of my friends try to be there for me, but they do not support me all the time or when I need them most. It was always about them, so I tried to change my personality to see if it would get their attention. I soon realized that it was stupid and selfish to change the person God made me. It offended me and Him.

Ashton Bruce

The best advice I have ever received was from my father and has shaped me as a person. Although I sometimes struggle to follow it, it is something that my dad tells me that I think could help me progress as a more tolerant and open-minded person: “Always try to see things from other people’s perspectives.” As selfish creatures, people tend to be one-sided and only see things in the way that it affects them. Perspective changes from person to person, and whether or not one agrees with the perspective is irrelevant. It only matters that one can understand differences in perspective, which is what makes both conflict and beauty.

Austin Gray

“X never, ever marks the spot.” Fictional icon Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade says this famous quote when looking for one of his longed for, precious artifacts. Although this quote comes from a fictional story, it bears good and modern advice. This phrase is truly saying that what one is looking for in his/her life may not be in the area one’s looking. This can apply personally to me because just a few years ago, I thought I wanted to be a mechanic and then, just this past year I found my new found love for photography.

Ben Bramblett

The best advice I had ever heard was to stay as far away as possible from drama. Nothing good comes out of people talking trash about other people behind their back. People are dying of starvation and diseases, why should anybody care about high school drama?

Cameron Conner

When I was younger I was perpetually afraid of my mother’s garden – literally petrified by fear at even the thought of my chubby little legs, carrying me to and fro among the array of greenery. Looking back now, I can trace this fear to the near rabid cats that liked to slum about amongst the plants and my infamous childhood clumsiness: the fear that I would somehow mess up one my mother’s beautiful hard work, that I would stop it from growing. I kept this same mindset in numerous areas of my life, always avoiding anything outside of my comfort zone because I was afraid, afraid of myself, afraid of my losing the ability to grow, never believing I could flourish. One day my grandmother imparted on to me a piece of advice that has not ceased to resonate in my mind: “Things break, but they can still grow.” This has become my mantra of sorts throughout the turbulence of my teenage years and my strange affairs with my mental health. Things break and might take on a new aspect, but they can still grow. I can still grow.

Colin Bergen

As of right now, I am honestly not that I’ve received the best advice yet. That is not to say I have not received advice; I certainly have, and I am sure each piece has done its part to change me for the better. However, there really is no one single piece of advice I could say profoundly impacted my life above all others. I suppose I just have not thought on these things as much as I should. One day, I am sure something will come to me, and it may very well change my outlook on life, the universe, and everything. But as of right now, I simply just do not know.

Danielle Stone

The best advice I have ever received is “Shut up, Danielle.” It is a phrase I am told on a daily basis, but, instead of seeing it as an offensive or rude remark, I think of it as helpful life guidance. Sometimes listening is more appreciated than speaking. Also, silence does not always need to be filled.

Daniel Snodgrass

Proverbs 18:18 NLT “Flipping a coin can end arguments; it settles disputes between powerful opponents.” This piece of advice works on so many levels: metaphorically and literally. If I do not know what kind of ice cream to order, I flip a coin! If I become the leader of a country and am about to go to war, I will flip a coin!

Emma Franklin

“Shut up and color,” or, alternatively, “shut up and do.” It is my family motto. Basically it means stop complaining; get the bad thing over and done with, then go do something fun. Complaining will get no work done.

Erin Dickman

Jim Elliot once said, “Wherever you are, be all there.” This simple little saying made me realize the importance of fully indulging myself in every moment. Instead of hoping for the future, appreciate the present; instead of longing on the past, be in the moment. When one is all there, one gains more from each moment than half-heartedly giving divided attention.

Ethan Simmons

The best advice I have ever received came from my dad. Late on a mid-October night, the two of us joined my dad’s close friend, Dave. We were discussing life, the only acceptable topic at 2 a.m. The two had been spewing tips about life all night, ranging from rather sensible advice, like saving for retirement early, to the more ridiculous advice, found through personal experience, like do not drink the night before your 8 a.m. class. However, they did eventually share the main idea of their discussion. They told me the key to life was to just have fun; we should not worry too much and surround ourselves with good people. I feel like everyone needs to hear this advice. Sometimes we get so caught up in the thought that we have to do everything right, but that is not how life works. We should just live, not take ourselves too seriously, and above all, have fun.

Gracen Martin

“Never let anyone treat you wrong or disrespect you in any way.” A few months into my 3^rd grade school year, and about a half-a-year before his passing, my grandpa sat me down and angrily uttered these words to me. There had been a girl in my class that decided it would be fun to pick on me, and the news of the girl’s actions was not pleasing to my grandpa. Since that day, I have carried these words around with me, even if I have not always taken that advice. Those words have deep meaning to a high school girl who is beginning to learn that the closest people in my life can hurt me the most. Those words have taught me to hold my own and never allow someone to hold power over me. The meaning keeps growing and growing for me as I get older, and I know that those words will always be important to my life, no matter what age.

Hailey Yarbrough

The best advice I have ever received was from a man on the beach in Saint Augustine. He and his wife were making roses out of dried palm tree leaves, and they gathered donations in hope of putting themselves back on track after a devastating house fire that cost them their home. When he bent down to hand me the beautiful creation, he told me to live in the present and go day by day but to also to keep in mind my future when making decisions. He made me realize my true happiness should not be invested in the false comfort of the future; it should be kept in the present hour and the present situation. Although, any decisions I make in that time will contribute to my future happiness and comfort, and I need to be reminded of that while not letting it cause useless worry.

Jack Kern

The best advice I have ever gotten was from my father. I was bullied in middle school, so we talked about it, “Don’t ever let yourself get stepped on. You’re too important for that.” This has stuck with me since we had that talk, and I have not had any problems with bullies since.

JoAnn Ahn

The best advice I have received is a quote, stated by an unknown person: “One day, you’ll just be a memory to some people. Do your best to be a good one.” This statement stands out to me and reminds me to always show kindness and my true character to people whenever and wherever.

Julie Day

The best advice I have received thus far is, “The world is a great big place full of adventurous travels, and society is such a small concept compared to everything else; don’t let it control you.” I get overwhelmed easily, I always have. A wise lady, who remains anonymous, enlightened my troubled heart with this thread of wisdom, and I have sewn it into my life.

Kayla Salemi

The best advice that I ever recieved was from my father. When we were in public, my father would always tell me to touch with my eyes not with my hands. I was prone to being quite the clumsy child, so my father would tell me not to touch things mainly because he did not want to pay for it if I were to drop it. Now that I am older, I completely understand why he would always say that, and I appreciate it a bit more.

Kristin Iler

The best advice that I have ever received came from my beloved best friend. Now, that may not seem very extraordinary to anyone, but my best friend is no longer on this Earth. The last words that he ever said are the words that I will remember perpetually, “You have to be strong, not just for me, but for yourself. You can’t let others push you around and take charge of you. You can’t let them treat you like I let them treat me.” Those were the most inspirational words that have ever been spoken in my presence, and to date, they are so powerful that they still linger in the air and tingle the skin on my arms.

Lacy Hamilton

It is so difficult to narrow all of the advice gifted to me into one omnipotent, all-inclusive nugget of inspirational text, so I guess I am just not going to do that. Although I cannot conjure up my “best” advice, I do often remind myself of one particular statement from the TV show Bones: “Walk away if it is for yourself. Stand up if it is for others.” It is so easy to get carried away with the concept of revenge, especially in a cyber-bullying infected society. The term “roast” has recently been trending within the vocabulary of our generation, proving that we more than often seem to put cleverness before kindness. This piece of advice reminds me that “avenging” myself is not important in the grand scheme of things, but standing up for someone else may provide the small bit of support that he/she needs to carry on.

Maddy James

The best advice I ever received was from my mother, who told me, “You cannot put your self-worth in anyone else. When it comes to the end of the day, you are the only one you will have, and you have to be content with that person.”

Matthew McFadden

I once heard a saying that has stuck with me for years: “Happiness is a choice.” Sure, someone might say or do something that casts a shadow on an otherwise bright day, but when it comes down to it, I can choose to either dwell on it or move on. If I make the decision to move on, I can think about or do things that make myself happy and turn my day around.

Megan Hoffman

I did not directly receive the best piece of advice ever given to me. I am a very large fan of Marina and The Diamonds, and recently, while watching one of her interviews, one of the things she said stuck with me. She said, “You have to be your biggest believer,” and this one quote stuck with me because I have never been a very big believer in myself, and her music has always helped me see how strong I can be. If I allow someone else to become my biggest supporter, I will always expect them to be there for me instead of being able to be there for myself. After years of trying to achieve complete self-love, seven words spoken by Marina Diamonds helped me learn how to fully love myself.

Morgan Champion

Over the course of fourteen years, I have been told many things, both good and bad. However, one situation stands out to me. It all started a few months ago when I brought a particular type of sandwich to school. This sandwich happened to be one of my favorites, but as I pulled it out of my lunch box, people were repulsed. They were astounded that I would eat of all things, an egg sandwich. I sat at the long, lean cafeteria table wondering, “Am I abnormal? Should I stop eating?” However, I went about the rest of my day, and I received two text messages from the girls I was sitting with, both of which apologized and said not to allow peer pressure to influence the way I live my life. If we allow our peers or let alone anyone else to dictate us, we are not really living at all. We should not stop doing what we love just because of one person’s opinion. Yes, it was merely an egg sandwich, but it taught me the greatest lesson I have ever learned.

Natalie Wilson

Trumping all other opinions people want me to buy into, the best advice I have ever received is that of my mom; she told me to take no one’s advice but my own. I have learned that until one’s are in a situation oneself, one does not know how one is going to react. Sure, it is helpful to learn from other people’s mistakes and listen to their take from the subject, but one should not place all of your faith in others’ experiences. There are certain mistakes that one have to make oneself before one can grasp the concept of “advice,” and one should trust oneself to have enough common sense to pull one’s own.

Noelle Walker

While I have had lots of good advice in my life, one piece in particular comes to mind. My dad and I had been discussing the future almost every high school student thinks of: college. I want to study writing (English Literature) because I want to be an author. However, before I can accomplish that, I have to have a job that gets me money, and, even when I do get published, I will have to have another job early on to support myself and get by. I was lost in thought at what this job could be; I still am. Then, my dad offered me a piece of advice I think everyone should hear: “You can dream, but still have responsibilities to follow, and that’s fine. What isn’t fine is letting the responsibilities control your whole life to where you can’t accomplish your dreams.” This could stand true for any situation.

Owen Wickman

The best advice I have ever received came from a college student from Ireland named Paul. He told me to “do your course work (or homework in my case) as soon as you get it. Don’t wait and don’t get behind.” Not only is this a sound piece of advice for school and work, but also life in general. One should never get behind on things one should be doing. One should always make an effort to get things done quickly and efficiently in order win the respect of one’s peers and other surrounding entities. Of course, procrastination is a major part of my life, and I have difficulty with avoiding it. However, I still feel as though the advice stands, and if possible, should be taken.

Perri Rabbitt

The best advice I ever received was from my parents. It was consistent advice that was set by example and confirmed with words. The advice was lived through a lifetime, and through a display that brought me no room for disbelief, their advice became a reality for me. They taught me what it was to know that Jesus loves me, and what it was like to love Jesus. Their advice led me to personally explore Him on my own, which has allowed me to surrender my life to Him. He has transformed my heart and shaped my life. He is my foundation and salvation. He is my Dad, and without Him I would be lost, but instead I am found.

Rachel McCord

I have been blessed with many amazing friends, counselors and mentors in my life and have therefore heard an abundance of good advice. However, the one piece of advice that still helps me to this day is probably to love myself and be myself. This seems so simple, but the truth is, if I know that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, then I know that I do not have to worry. If I do not have all the attributes and wonderful characteristics that the person beside me does, it is okay because I know that all the gifts I have been blessed with are exactly what I need to fulfill my life’s purpose. Loving who God has created me to be has also helped to kill the habit of comparison that I carry with me, and so, instead of being jealous of other’s qualities, I can rejoice in and treasure them. In short, loving who I am has helped me to not only boldly approach my life’s purpose but also to more fully love others.

Rayne Crivelli

In a 1968 interview with Eric Nordern, Stanley Kubrick said, “However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.” This quote is just a small section from an altogether greater monologue which can be found here. Kubrick is discussing nihilism, or his belief that life is altogether devoid of meaning. Rather than getting lost in the meaningless of life, Kubrick challenges himself to make something from nothing. Find meaning where there is none. Humans spend their lives trying to escape death, rather than working within the confines of mortality to do all they can. The world’s lack of purpose does not mean we should give up or stop caring – it means we must find our own purpose and provide the world with the love and meaning it lacks.

Rhiannon Martin

The best advice I have received is, “Give everything you do, and everything you have.”As a student athlete, this advice really speaks to me on a personal level. During matches and games, I can hear the little voice inside my head, chanting this over and over. If I leave every piece of myself on the field or court, I get it all back in the feeling of accomplishment. It does not matter whether or not I win or lose, as long as I put every ounce of myself into what I do, I feel like I have conquered the world.

Sam Perryman

Over the summer of last year, I worked with a man who owned a landscaping company. I learned lots of things throughout my time working with him, but the most important thing that I learned was the value of working hard. This advice seems obvious, but I was at a place in my life where I was struggling to find happiness, so, when I found a positive correlation between how hard I worked and how happy I was, I was overjoyed. This philosophy has changed my life and made me a much happier person.

Savannah Keith

My most cherished advice comes from an anonymous source: “Loneliness is still time spent with the world.” This quote resonates with me in an especially comforting way, as if there is never a moment we, as humans, are entirely absent. We are not ghosts even when the hour is wrong, even when we are alone, even when words cease flocking. Everything exists at all times, seen and unseen, and there is not a clock or event or passing that can change that, save for mortality’s. Sometimes it is okay to be all alone and simply breathing, and sometimes it is okay to realize that moment is one still united with earthly being. In this place, hush and fairness permeates.

Seth Anderson

The best piece of advice I have ever received is from my dad, Joseph Anderson. He and I were arguing; I was telling him about how hard my life was and all my ideas to make it better. However, he told me that he had those exact ideas, and that they would not work. I asked why, and he replied, “A man with a theory,” he pointed to me, then back to himself, “can never beat a man with experience.”

Tiffany Lovell

It was advice that every girl should be given before high school, college, or even puberty. I was sitting at the dinner table with my mom on one the side of me and two of her friends (along with one of the ladies’ nine-year-old daughter) on the other side. Small talk had commenced throughout the small get together, but soon, the young woman with the fatherless child turned to me and asked if I had a boyfriend. I lied and said no because my mother did not know about the boyfriend at the time, but still the woman continued. She asked if I had my eyes set on anyone, and to this question, I answered yes. I was now intrigued at where she was taking this, and it seemed her daughter was keen on being quiet for once during the dinner. Her mother’s voice became soft and told me this, “Don’t ever, ever let a male, or anyone, tell you who you are. Don’t ever let a man change you, and don’t date anyone with the thought of you having to change, cause you don’t. And if they don’t appreciate you, your views, your life stories then you don’t give them the satisfaction of calling you theirs because you’re too good for them. Don’t do what I did. Don’t fall in love with them just because they’re “good looking.” Fall in love with them when you know they’ll catch you. Because when I fell…I fell right on the cold floor. We were left on the cold floor.” She turned to her daughter who did not understand, but I knew she would soon. I took this information, and it dwells in the back of my mind like gum on the bottom of a shoe.

Bim Peacock

The universe has given me the best advice ever.  Things are a constant series of cycles — Not just one circle coming back around, but an ever changing universe of interlocking and intermingling paths of events. Some call it karma, but one word has never described it well enough for me. All paths come all the way back around to a place they had never been before, and thank God that my old church taught me that, because if you can understand the way those circles work, you can see the waves before they knock you down.

Austin McIntosh

The best advice that I ever received came from a poster in my health classroom. The poster said, “Work smart, not hard,” but the funny thing was that the word “not” had been crossed out, while getting replaced by “and.” Therefore, the poster said, “Work smart and hard.” My teacher said that one of his old teachers gave him this advice that was the worst he had ever heard, so he decided to change it. I like this mantra because it makes sense with anything that you will ever do.

Jade Flack

“He is not Mr. Right. You won’t find a Mr. Right at this age, but you will find a Mr. Right-now. At this age, you aren’t looking for a husband or soul mate. You just find someone who makes you happy and supports you, and don’t settle for anything less.” This is the best advice my mom has ever given to me, and it just helps me to step back and realize that boys are not worth the drama right now. As a freshman, I need to focus on grades and being happy. High school is supposed to be for finding myself and having the time of my life with my friends- not crying over boys.

Jacob Blodgett

The best advice that I have received in my life was from my dad. My family had taken a trip to Colorado to see family. I had never seen this side of my family, and was very excited to go. When we returned, my then girlfriend had met someone else. I was furious at her. My dad had seen what had happened and pulled me away to give me some advice: “I know it hurts, but you have to be the better person.” I did not understand what he meant, but I backed away from the situation and cooled down. When I did, I saw that if I had acted on my anger, the situation would have gotten worse. I learned that being the better person is hard, but ultimately worth it.

Hannah Manikowski

I am enough. All the tools I need to become everything I dream of becoming, I already have inside of me. I can always improve. But I am complete exactly as I am.

I live my life with this mindset that was instilled in me through the advice of my director and mentor, Christina Hoff, who always pushes me to be my best self, but who simultaneously loves me unconditionally, exactly as I am. It is advice that can transfer to anyone. By the very nature of our humanity, we are all enough.