Things I wish I knew in High School

The other day, I received a note from an old Facebook friend letting me know that our high school had officially begun planning a reunion for later this year. She asked if I was planning on going and the truth is I am still not sure.

High school for me was some of the best years of my life and it did give me my4 BFF's who I don't know where I would be without them BUT it also gave me some of the worst/hardest life lessons ever. While in hindsight I should be grateful for them at the time, I never thought I would recover.

Some of the things I wish I knew in High School were;

1. Some guys will just say things to get in your pants.

Yes I know this is a lesson we all have to learn but I am still embarrassed of how naive and grown up I thought I was that I could handle all that comes along with listening to those type of high school boys.

2. Not every person you meet will be a true friend

For a girl in high school this is a hard but necessary lesson to learn. Not everyone you meet is looking out for you so choose your friends wisely and don't waste time obsessing over those who aren't

3. In a few years the cool people won't matter

You know the "cool" crowd? Well, for a lot of them, high school is their peak, their time to shine and the decisions they make will change the course of their lives and in some cases even diminish their potential. Don't be one of those people who peak in high school. There is life after high school and it can be fabulous if you let it.

4. Study, Study, Study

Have I made myself clear? There are many things that other people can take away from you like jobs, money, boyfriends, and even husbands but one thing nobody can take away is your education. Now I am not saying you must go to University (but it wouldn't hurt -that's the mother in me talking). Education opens doors that can never be closed. When you get out there in the big bad world, you want to make sure you have as tools as you can.

5. Listen to Yourself

What moves you? We have the great luxury in the time we live in that we chicks have options. Do you want to run your own company? Go for it! Want to travel the world by yourself? Do it! Fulfill your dreams, you only get one life as you so go live it!

6. Kiss Lots of Frogs

You have the rest of your life to be married to one person and trust me when you are old and gray your grandkids will be super impressed that you got around. Enjoy your single life, because trust me it will be the last time you get to do whatever you want whenever you want. Just because you haven`t found `the one`doesn`t mean you can`t enjoy the search. Haven`t you learned anything from Fairy Tales? Sometimes that guy that looks like a frog really is your Prince Charming, warts and all.

7. Yes, you will have to work hard and No there aren`t any shortcuts

If there is one thing that I have learned, is that everything worth having comes from hard work. Don`t go always looking for the easy way out because in the end it won`t make you happy. You won`t understand why but you will always feel a little cheated if you are always looking for the shortcut. It might seem easier, but in the end it is always harder.

8. Gather your tribe.

Surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed. Don`t listen to the haters, life is too short to spend it with people who don`t love you. True friends don`t compete with you and want you to be the best you can be. Your tribe can be whoever you want, family, friends, co-workers heck you might even meet a stranger in a coffee shop who will end up being your bestie - just make sure you grab those kindred spirits and keep them with you.

Whew, those are some pretty heavy things to learn in 4 years of High School. This is probably why we don`t learn these things until way later.

So what about you? What do you wish you learned in High School?