What advice would you give to your younger self? — Assembly

In Assembly’s “Around the world” series, girls sound off on the topics that matter to them, from the companies they’re dreaming up to the issues they wished more leaders talked about.

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“Enjoy every moment and be present in every situation. I remember that I was mainly focused on becoming an adult instead of enjoying time with my family and finding pleasure in every step of my life. Nowadays I try to enjoy every single moment because nobody knows when our last time here on Earth will be. Now my mindset is: ‘Life is short, so live every moment and have fun like it would be your last day.’”

— Andrea, 18, Guatemala

“Have a lot of confidence. Stop worrying about the future. Be an amazing listener. Be patient with whatever you are doing. Follow your passion because what matters at the end is whether or not we’re happy.”

— Affreen, 16, India

“I would tell younger Luiza to be bolder, untied by society’s expectations. I would advise her to be free to paint indistinguishable figures and write non-rhythmic poetry, even if they’re met with confused glances. I would remind her to be her true self and feel the generations of women by her side.”

— Luiza, 17, Brazil