A Letter To My Younger Self

Dear younger me,

Growing up as a kid is a full of dreams and positivity. 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:

Don’t grow up too fast.

Slow down and be patient. You have so much life left to live. There is so much that God has planned for you. But right now, enjoy this time in your life. Enjoy having your health and vitality, because you will not have these things forever.

Never waste a second wishing you were older or somewhere else in life. Treasure this time because it goes by too quickly. You will see and experience things that will urge you to grow up too fast; 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’re not good enough but I promise you are. You are so much more than enough. Stop looking to others to find your worth. Learn to love who you are and let that be enough. Know that you are God’s beautiful creation and nothing you achieve in life or fail to achieve will ever change His love for you.

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 the majority of 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 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, be grateful for all you have.

Never stop searching for the blessings all around you. If you learn to look, you will find them everywhere. Be grateful for all you’ve been given. Realize the abundance of blessings that surround you.

Be thankful for the people in your life who love and support you. Let them know how much they mean to you. Nurture the relationships in your life. Relationships take work. Strive to always give more than you take from them.

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.” There is so much truth in this statement. Remember it. Stop living for the approval of others. You will never be able to please everyone.

There will be people in this life who don’t like you. Learn to accept this and move on. Find the people in this world who do appreciate the fire burning inside your heart. Find them and love them hard.

So let us calm down, take the time to relax and learn to dream again. By doing so we will find enjoyment, peace, joy and happiness in our lives. We will solve more world problems by chasing our dreams instead of someone else’s.