Teenager Mariah Carey

May 26, 2008, 6:00 GMT

05/15/2008 - Mariah Carey - 5th Annual Operation Smile Gala - Arrivals - Skylight Studio - New York City, NY, USA © Janet Mayer / PR Photos

Mariah Carey still feels like she is 18.

The 38-year-old star insists she lives like a teenager and loves taking on new challenges.

She said: "I feel like the same person as when I was 18. Every day I'm here on this earth I am going to learn something, whether it is dressing up two hours before you go on stage or just maybe I had a bad moment but I pulled it off.

"To me, you can't let the hurt turn to hate and bitterness, otherwise I would really not be in a good place. You can't go through hell and come out of it if you haven't felt a little bit of heaven."

Mariah recently revealed she has lost so much weight she can fit into the jeans she wore when she was 16 and at high school.

She said: "My jean size went down to my 10th grade size. I got tired of people telling me, 'You need to lose weight.' That's what inspired me.

"For me, it's not about a number on a scale. It's not about necessarily even a size. It's about feeling good and being comfortable in your own skin. Right now, I feel really great. I feel better than I've ever felt."

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