MY DEAR TEENAGERS- BY SAKEENAH'WRITES

Dear teenagers, "just like a plant doesn't become a tree in just one day, likewise you WILL not BECOME an ADULT in just one day by simply TRYING to BE or ACTING like one. Your LIFE is going to be in STAGES, and every STAGE will come with its own CHALLENGES and life ADVERSITIES that are STRONG enough to SWEEP your FEET of the GROUND. 

Dear teenagers, your curiosity to know and practice almost everything is unapologetically normal, your wanting to be independent is understandable, your yearn for freedom is not a crime, the LUSTFUL emotions you MISTAKE for LOVE is NORMAL at this STAGE, and your MISCONCEPTIONS about the RULES and UPBRINGING of your PARENTS are also PARDONABLE, for not just I but your parents too were once teenagers like you. 

But I want you to know that the stage you are now is the most interesting but crucial stage of your life, it is a stage where the THINGS you do NOW will DETERMINE your TOMORROW, it is a stage where even the slightest DECISION can CHANGE your whole LIFE for GOOD or BAD, it is stage where your ACTIONS and WORDS will DETERMINE the OPINIONS people will DEVELOP about YOU, it is a stage where any LITTLE mistake can DETERMINE you from the RIGHT PATH as well as SHATTER your SELF-RESPECT for life. 

In fact, it is a very fragile stage that cannot be underrated or taken for granted. As a result of all these, you cannot afford to live this STAGE of your LIFE in VAIN, you cannot AFFORD to INVEST the ENERGY you have now on PEOPLE and ACTIVITIES that will BREAK YOU rather than MAKE YOU, and you cannot AFFORD to WASTE it on UNNECESSARY CRUISE, for the MOMENT it is GONE, it can NEVER COME BACK. 

So, rather than LOOKING for CROOKED WAYS to make quick MONEY, rather than FERVENTLY trying to fix YOURSELF into TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS, rather than JOINING your FRIENDS in ENCOURAGING and ABATING the HOOK-UP culture, rather than getting INVOLVED in what the GEN ZEAL call "BENEFIT FRIENDS", 

and rather than ALLOWING your mates INTIMIDATE you with their PREMATURE RELATIONSHIP life, or what they call, "BOYFRIEND and GIRLFRIEND relationship," please use the time, energy, and privilege you have now as a TEEN to DISCOVER who you ARE, WHY you are EXISTING, what you WANT to BE, 

how you want the WORLD to ADDRESS you TOMORROW, and WHAT you WANT the WORLD to REMEMBER you for AFTER YOU ARE GONE. A word is enough for the wise, and only those who choose to heed to advice and make up their mind to thread the right path will live a life FREE OF GUILT AND REGRET!

© SAKEEENAH'WRITES 

- Nigeria