__W__hen you turn 17, you might feel like "finally! I am an adult!"

Feeling like you want to do this and that, grasping all the fun you can get, want to experience love, or even thinking that you can stand on your own. Remember, with that increasing number on your own pocket, it also comes with greater responsibility.

Never thought about this when I was 17, but now I realize that I was no one when I was 17. It is merely another year, just a number that believed to be the time when your frontal lobe is fully developed. Frontal lobe is the part of our brain which controls cognitive skills. It controls our personality and ability to communicate.

Frankly speaking, even though we are 17, and our frontal lobe is fully developed, there is no guarantee that we are instantly able to function and perform as an adult. As a matter of fact, we still need time and experiences to help us understand life better. There are many things that would help, such as being exposed to daily decision making, involved in a big group, working as a team, or even reading. Our surroundings matter. We are social beings, our surrounding culture is shaping us. The way we think, the way we talk, the way we act, it is all derived from our culture and surroundings.

That’s a big big world out there, waiting for you to discover. Make sure you surround yourself with supportive positive uplifting people.