Before he had seven million YouTube subscribers and a bestselling memoir, Joey Graceffa was just a normal high school kid trying to figure things out. Here are a few things he wishes he'd known then.
1. The reason you have acne is because you only eat crap and tons of processed sugars. STOP and drink water.
2. Don't feel pressured to do things you're not ready to do. You're not gonna have your first kiss till you're 21 and you don't need to smoke or drink just 'cause everyone else is doing it. Be a shepherd, not a sheep.
3. Talk to your friends about what's really going on at home. It will help you so much. You don't have to keep everything inside.
4. NEVER USE A TANNING BED AGAIN! HOW'S SKIN CANCER SOUND?! OR HOW ABOUT PRE-MATURE WRINKLES?!
5. Wearing double layered pop collars are only good for looking back to make fun of yourself. Triple layers was just cringe.
6. Don't be embarrassed that you live in a small apartment. Your friends don't care where you live; they just wanna hang out with you.
7. Stand up for yourself more.
8. Smoothies aren't healthy when you add milk, sweetie.
9. Milk is for a baby calf to turn into a large cow. Not humans. Don't worry, there are plenty of alternatives like almond, soy, or coconut milk.
10. It's OK to cry when you're a boy.
11. Don't stress out about what college you wanna go to. SURPRISE — you drop out to follow your dreams. College isn't for everyone.
12. Screw the school drama teacher who didn't cast you your senior year. You will star in many of your own successful projects one day.
13. Keep making YouTube videos. It's gonna take you places you never imagined.
Joey celebrating the launch of his YouTube Red Series Escape the Night at VidCon.
GETTY
14. Don't do your hair like that. It wasn't cute then…nor will it ever be.
15. Your mother's alcoholism is a disease and probably will never go away. But that doesn't mean you can't have hope or still love her.
16. Don't wear that oversized white tux to prom, please. I know you want to stand out, but just don't.
17.You are gay and someday you won't have to hide it.
Follow Joey on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Look for his debut YA novel Children of Eden everywhere on October 4, 2016.
