Six things I wish I had told my younger self

So July is upon us which means half of the year is gone. CRAZY. I thought I'd spend the next few days making lists of six -- for the 6 months that have gone by. So here goes nothing. 

1. Never tell anybody who you have a crush on because they WILL tease you about it ten years down the line. They will remember it even when you don't remember the reasons you develop that crush in the first place. He might look dreamy now but 3 months later you'll be wondering what the heck did you even see in him. Better yet, just don't have a crush on anybody because it is the source of a painful heartache, which you don't need. DON'T DO IT, ANIS.
   
2. You are enough. I wish I could hug you the night you cry yourself to sleep because a boy, some stupid boy told you you're fat. And dozen others hinted at it. I wish I was there to comfort you when you go shopping for clothes and mom keeps asking you to buy the size up even though the one you're wearing fits just fine because you're the chubby one in the family. I wish you're kinder to yourself. And even though you're 10 steps ahead in trying to love yourself, a snide remark takes you back to square one. Spoiler alert: you'll be fine. Hey, if you won't say it to your close friends, don't say it to yourself.
   
3. Friends grow apart, and that's okay. C'est la vie. Don't take it to the heart and don't taint the good memories you have with them by holding grudges if they're too busy to hang out. But the good news is you'll make new friends, from all over the world, too! And you'll learn new things from each one of them. (Also, it'll help if you improve your geography so you'll know where Latvia or Bahrain is, just puting that out there.)
   
4. Do something for yourself, not for others. Don't listen to that indie song just because it's cool to hate mainstream music. Don't drink Starbucks just to show off, the same with branded stuff in general. Don't finish that book if you hate it, don't watch that tv show even though the characters are lame just so you can talk about it with your friends. Do something because you want it, not because it'll look cool on Instagram. Stop trying to impress others and impress yourself.
   
5. Don't compare. Well I guess that's a bad advice since I do it all the time too ha ha ha. But seriously. Let's be real here. You're not exactly the type to say, "look at what that person has achieved wow let's work hard to be there too! Jyeah!" You're more like, "wow look at what that person has achieved, AT MY AGE!?? And here I am wasting my life away I am such a loser oh god i am depressed call an ambulance or a psychiatrist idk help." Yep. So work hard to improve yourself, and believe you can do it. But by all means, stop comparing yourself to others. Which brings me to my last point.
   
6. Be grateful. You are so, so blessed. To have amazing parents who supports you through thick and thin (go clean up your room after reading this before mom gets mad -- again), to have wonderful friends, to have a roof over your head. Don't envy those who have better lives than yours, judging on what, their Instagram pictures? We choose what we put out there on social media. That's their highlight reel. Make a life your 50-year-old will be proud of to look back. Not to impress your 200-something followers, not to invoke envy or to have as many 'likes' on your photos/status. 

Wow it's been awhile since I last write something, non-academic stuff at least. I'll be graduating in December (insha Allah) and I CANNOT wait to get out there. I have 3 plans, and keeping my fingers crossed and praying at least one of them will work out. 



“To my daughter I will say,
‘See your beauty
without a compliment
or a mirror.’”
— 'Blind' by Della Hicks-Wilson