Top 5

…things to tell my 13 year old sister.

Did you know that I have a sister and that she’s awesome? She’s a kick ass soccer player, and a spitfire to boot. She is the youngest of the 4 of us. My nickname for her is Mocha; she gets tanner in the summertime than anyone else in our family {I’m the whitest, by the way}. She’s way cuter than I was at 13, for sure.

High school is not the height of your existence.

People who talk about high school as the best time of their life are people who haven’t achieved anything great. Aim higher. Expect great things of yourself.

There will always be mean girls.

…even now I come across them. Don’t let them phase you; being mean makes you an ugly person in my eyes. You can’t change how people treat you, but you can change how you react. Instead of being passive aggressive, address situations head on.

You have to plan for the future.

It’s hard to plot a course when you’re invested in *fun* things like prom and getting your driver’s license. Even though it doesn’t seem like it, right now you’re making decisions that will impact the rest of your life. School is cool — the people who were geeks in high school are the cool kids you want to hang out with when you grow up.

Some makeup is good. Less makeup is better.

Enhance beauty, don’t mask it. People want to see your real face. And along the same lines, dress for respect. You might think you want to be noticed, but really you want respect. Get respect by respecting yourself. Dress appropriately. I don’t want to see any bootie shorts or bandeau tops, missy!

You are extraordinary.

Throughout your life people will try and bring you down. Somehow you’ll get the idea in your head: You aren’t skinny enough, You aren’t blonde enough, You aren’t young/old enough, Your hair isn’t straight enough, You aren’t rich enough, You aren’t smart enough. Listen now: You are more than enough, you are extraordinary. And you can do ANYTHING you set your mind to. Push yourself.

Trust me. Love you mija.