On our recent book tour for All You Can Be with ADHD, Penn and I met so many amazing kids — some as young as twelve — who told us they listen to our Laugh Lines podcast. I was floored (and flattered!). These are smart, kind, curious kids who are growing up in a world that’s both more connected and more complicated than the one we had. Somewhere between signing books and talking about ADHD, I realized something: We might actually be the Golden Girls for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
That was the topic on this week’s podcast episode, where Penn and I gave advice to ourselves as teens, 20s, and 30s. (Along with some very fun discussion around TikTok Shop being the new QVC… more on that in the show.) It’s comforting to know that somewhere some teen will benefit from what we would tell ourselves.
5 Tips For Teens
#1 Don’t lose sleep over the person peaking in high school.
That person who doesn’t notice you now? Trust me, it’s fine. The person who’s “winning” in high school often peaked there. Life gets so much better — and you’ll eventually meet someone who sings you the Golden Girls theme song on command. (True story.)
#2 Your bullies won’t always be the villains in your story.
Once as an adult, Penn ran into two of his high school bullies — the kind who gave him swirlies in the toilet — and they had turned into kind, happy, grown-up humans. Sometimes, people change. And sometimes, the best revenge is being happy and healed.
#3 Perms won’t fix everything.
I was sure a perm would solve all my problems. Spoiler alert: It didn’t. Neither did short bangs. (But it did build character.) So if you ever find yourself thinking that a big change on the outside will fix how you feel on the inside — it won’t. You’re already enough.
#4 Talk to people — especially the ones who intimidate you.
Penn’s advice for teenage boys (and girls): Don’t be afraid to talk to people you like. Look them in the eyes (important note), ask questions about them, and listen. You’ll be amazed how far genuine curiosity and kindness can take you.
#5 Invest in yourself (and maybe a little Apple stock.)
Penn’s last bit of advice? If you see your dad buying an Apple computer in 1985, put all your allowance into the stock. But since that ship has sailed — invest in your future self instead. Learn something new. Be kind. Take care of your brain. It all pays off in the end.
You Can Do This
Growing up is hard, and it’s easy to feel like everyone else has it figured out. Spoiler alert: None of us do. We’re all just trying to take the next right step — and hopefully laugh along the way.
So from your unofficial Golden Girls — here’s our love letter to you: Don’t rush, don’t compare, and don’t forget that the best parts of life usually come after high school. Oh, and “thank you for being a friend…” Listen to the show below and leave us a comment with what you think!
