Dear 2012 me,
There are so many things I want to tell you, it’s hard to know where to start. Life can be so beautiful, and at the same time, so hard. But you are strong enough to get through it all. I’ll begin with this one simple plea:
Slow down and be patient.
You have so much life left to live. But right now, enjoy this time in your life. Never waste a second wishing you were somewhere else in life. Treasure this time because it goes by too quickly. You will see and experience things that will urge you to go faster; don’t let them. Cherish this time in your life and live every second as fully as you can.
Dear younger me, you are worth so much more than you think you are.
This is something you will struggle with. You will think you are not good enough but I promise you are. You are so much more than enough. Stop looking for external validation. Love who you are and let that be enough. Know that you are a creation of a beautiful mind and nothing you achieve in life or fail to achieve will ever change your love for yourself.
Learn to give yourself grace. I know that you set high expectations for yourself, but please, give yourself a break sometimes. You do not have to be perfect. Perfect is an illusion.
Learn to talk to yourself like you would an old friend. Be kind and gentle with the words you tell yourself. The words you speak to yourself become what you believe. Choose your words carefully.
Dear younger me, try to stop worrying so much.
I promise you most things you’re worried about will never actually happen. Stop wasting your precious time on the what-ifs. If you keep focusing on what could happen in the future or ruminating on things you can’t change from the past, you will miss out on the gift that is here in this moment.
Don’t look back in 20 years and regret that you never learned to appreciate today. There is something to be said for practicing mindfulness. Learn to embrace the present moment.
Dear younger me, stop caring so much what everyone thinks about you.
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “you wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” This is such a great statement – remember it. Stop living for the approval of others. You will never be able to please everyone (and you shouldn’t try).
There will be people in this life who don’t like you. Continue to accept this and move on. Find people in this world who do appreciate the fire burning inside your heart. Find them and love them hard.
You’re digging deeper into forgiveness right now, so here’s a plea: learn to forgive quickly, but don’t let anyone walk all over you. Stand up for yourself. Stand up for what you believe in. Believe that there is a goodness in the world.
Dear younger me, stop letting fear hold you back.
You have wrestled with fear for a large part of your life. Don’t let it win. Don’t let your fear hold you back from living your life and stepping boldly into the world. You have so many gifts to give; do not let it prevent you from sharing these gifts with the world.
Dear younger me, don’t let pain harden your heart.
Instead, learn from the difficult times in your life. Never stop learning. Let your pain give you wisdom that you would not otherwise have. When you go through difficult times, don’t hide your pain and become closed off to others. Learn to share your truth and use your story to help others to feel less alone in theirs. If you do this, you will never waste your pain.
Dear younger me, you can do hard things.
There will be more times in your life that are hard. But you are so much stronger than you know. You are more resilient and wiser than you know. Don’t ever forget this. There will be times when life will try to wear you down. Don’t let it. There will be times when life will be messy and unpredictable, and you will question it all.
But know that you will do amazing things in this life. Believe in yourself. This life is so beautiful. Never stop searching for the beauty in this world. And never stop searching for the beauty in this world. And never stop believing that you can change this world. You can make a difference in the lives of others.
Love,
Your future self
P.S. You’re on the right track with your spiritual development. Keep pushing. Keep growing. Also, make time enough for love.
👉 What do you wish you knew 10 years ago? Comment below!