I've always wanted to "be mature beyond my years," which is pretty common among those my age. I want to prove myself, be the big person who did something harder than those around me. Unfortunately, a lot of this is selfish pride, but there are many good aspects of having this feeling!
To be totally honest, the saying I hated the most from my parents is the "we pay for everything you have, so as long as you live under this roof, it's our rules." This really got my goat and got me angry on more than one occasion, which is why, a few months after my 16th birthday, I came to my parents with a proposal. Once I graduated, I would start paying rent, and in my mind, I saw this as an opportunity to 'escape from being under the complete authority of my parents' and 'be my own man.' Thankfully, they agreed to this, and starting July 1st, I would pay $500 a month for rent and car insurance.
Since that point, I've been so much more motivated to achieve my goals, showing that I can be different from my peers and make money to pay the rent like a man. My parents don't need me to pay rent and aren't short on money, so offering to do so didn't make financial sense, but I knew it was something I had to do to accelerate my growth.
What ended up happening was I actually grew much closer to my parents and took heed of their wisdom and what they had to offer more often. This had a cascading effect where I started doing much better in my work, writing, and setting future goals! I felt more in control, and even though I don't pay for everything to live on my own, I do pay for a good chunk of it, which has brought me amazing opportunities and results!
Key take away's:
1) Wanting to be mature beyond your years, though maybe driven by pride, is a good thing, so long as you don't get full of yourself
2) I was able to out of "being under my parent's thumb" and start the journey of becoming a man by paying rent
3) Paying rent has brought me closer to my parents, given me huge confidence, and a new outlook on setting goals for the future!
4) Paying your room and board even in situations that don't make financial sense is still really good for your personal growth