Big Sis Advice on Life Lessons You Didn’t Learn in School

Navigating our early 20s is a huge deal, don’t you agree? One second we were in our last teenage years; the next, we suddenly became a bunch of clueless young adults.

(Like how clueless I was the first time I did taxes for a company at 22. Now that I think about it, wow—my ex-boss trusted someone so inexperienced in life to do his taxes! He probably wasn’t aware that my prefrontal cortex was still a blueprint back then.)

I’m 27 years and 5 months old now. I’m guessing some of you are older than I am. Cheers to making it through the early stages of adulting, even if it’s not always easy! It’s like a wild ride that (I’m pretty sure) everyone on the internet can relate to.

Speaking of people on the internet, it’s also important to point out that I’ve gotten so much help from them over the years. Like having older sisters I don’t even know, I’ve gotten plenty of good advice and unexpected life hacks. Be it a random tweet (I still refuse to call it an X post), an Instagram post, or a discussion on Quora—trust me, there’s so much hidden wisdom from strangers on the internet, if you know just where to look! 

Well, I’m inspired. I want to be a helpful stranger on the internet too. In the spirit of being one, here is a list of my big sis’s advice, all drawn from my own experiences:

Life is more than just work. Having a career is important, but never lose sight of who you are. The world is bigger than that, you know. You deserve to have a beautiful life outside the cubicle—or room, if you’re so high on the corporate ladder that you can’t relate to this.

Money is important, but there’s so much more beyond material wealth. Chase it wisely.

Start investing as early as you can. You won’t regret it in the years to come. I wish somebody had told me this in my early working years.

Find your passion. Find something that gives you a deep sense of purpose. It might seem unimportant to some people, but there will be times when passion seems like the only thing worth fighting for.

Always be presentable. You’ll never know who you’ll stumble upon on the street. Remember Margot Robbie’s husband’s encounter with Barack Obama while wearing very short shorts? You wouldn’t want that, trust me.

Be confident. I think one of the main reasons holding you back from going places is the thought of not being good enough. Everyone, be confident! There’s something noticeably different about you when you do.

Be polite and helpful to others.

My three 'don’t' rules for dealing with toxic people: don’t engage, don’t get provoked, and don’t take it personally. It may be easy in theory and hard in practice, but once you’ve mastered it, you will find life more peaceful.

Cutting off people who make you feel bad is not a crime. Do it for your own peace of mind.

Not all friendships last forever, and that’s okay. Mourning a friendship breakup is painful but normal. Just remember that, in most cases, connections fade, and it’s not your fault.

Disclaimer: In the end, I’m still a stranger on the internet. Take this advice with a grain of salt, if you will. I just hope that this post will help you, just like the other strangers on the internet have helped me.

If you like this post, you might also enjoy Yesterday Sucked. Here’s What I Did About It and  9 Things Every Woman Should Have.