Teenage Tuesdays

8 Lessons from High School by, Ella Rae Greene

June 24, 2025

📣INTRODUCING a new Whinypaluza column called Teenage Tuesdays written by Rebecca's daughter Ella Greene, who is 16 years old!
➡️Look forward to a new blog from Ella from a teenage perspective on Tuesdays.
📑Here is her first blog:

8 Lessons from High School by, Ella Rae Greene

Well, here I am. By the time this is published, I will be halfway through high school. So, I figured what better time than now to share 8 lessons I learned from my first half of high school in honor of the 8 quarters I’ve been a highschooler. 

1. No one will love you if you don’t love yourself. 

It's a harsh reality, but reality, nonetheless. I’m not saying be vain or overconfident, that’s just as bad. What I am saying is that you have to love yourself in order to find others that will love you. No one wants to hang around someone who is insecure and anxious. Believe me, I was that someone all of freshman year. Not only does it suck to be that person, but it also sucks to be around. So, find something that you like about yourself, and just keep trying to expand that part of yourself. Eventually, you will realize that you are worthy, and you are amazing. 

2. Make it exist first, make it good later 

That’s a common maxim I live by. In order to create anything, you have to first endure the messy, maybe even heinous beginning stages before it can become the glamorous thing you dreamed it would be. No dream is accomplished without that first stage. In fact, I would argue that this stage is the most important because that’s where all the growth happens. So, no matter what you hope to create, just start. Just take the first step. Let it be messy. I promise that you will make it fantastic in time, you just have to make it exist first. The club I’ve been working on starting all year finally started to gain traction and take off a month ago. That wouldn’t have happened without the messy stage when it was just a google doc. So, make the google doc. Plan that thing. Do something. 

3. The effort is more important than the outcome 

My dad has told me this time and time again and he is right. We learn infinitely more from putting in the effort to study for an exam, write an essay, or do anything in life than we do from perfect scores and glamorous award ceremonies. That’s why the effort is more important than the outcome. It’s the effort that changes you and builds character, not the celebrations. So, the next time you’re stressed about anything, remember that. Remember that you go so much farther by trying than by succeeding. So, dad, I think your lesson finally landed. 

4. Trust yourself

You know yourself the best.  So, trust yourself and trust your instincts, chances are they’re right. The most important person to trust in this life is yourself. 

5. The answer is always hard work

Hard work is unavoidable if you want to be successful. There is no easy way to accomplish anything. You have to put your blood, sweat, and tears into it. But chances are, the hard work will pay off. The hours you spend working on something will make that thing more beautiful than you ever imagined. So put in the work, put in the effort. Go the extra mile. The temporary pain is worth it. Yes, it’s hard, but you will be so happy in the end when you see how far you’ve come. I can’t wait for the day I re-read this blog as a senior and realize how stupid I sound and how much better at writing I am at 18 than at 16. But that day will only come if I keep writing and keep putting in the effort. 

6. The sky’s the limit 

It's a cliche I know. But, it’s a cliche because it’s true. The only one limiting you is yourself. You can accomplish anything, so you might as well try. Even if you miss the sky, you’ll still be off the ground. So yes, it’s stupid and everyone’s heard it before, but it’s a lesson worth hearing again. 

7. You can’t be everywhere 

As much as I wish I could be in ten thousand places at once, it’s simply not possible. So, prioritize and decide what’s most important to you and do that. People are usually understanding and willing to accommodate. Give yourself the grace to miss stuff, it’s the only way to keep your sanity intact. I learned this one through having two club meetings at the same time (sorry drama club). 

8. It’s ok to be ignorant, as long as you don’t stay ignorant 

No one can know everything or have every lived experience. Everyone’s world looks so different, and we can’t all understand everything. So, a certain amount of ignorance is ok, inevitable even. But what you can’t do is stay ignorant. What you can’t do is refuse to admit you were wrong. So, when you’re presented with new information, take it into account and learn it. Allow yourself to grow and change through knowledge. It’s okay to be wrong, as long as you accept what’s right. 

Life is a crazy thing, and it finds its way to deliver us lessons when we don’t even realize we need them. So, my final piece of advice is this: always be willing to learn a lesson. 

Until next time, 
Ella Greene 

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