I have noticed a trend where advice gurus write letters to their younger selves as if having a conversation with their past, kind of like “if I knew then what I know now” therapy. Huh. Interesting.
This week my life calendar will flip over, marking the annual passage of another year of aging, so now seems like the perfect time for me to try this Dear Me exercise. I thought I’d cut my new age in half and start in the abyss that was my early twenties. Here it goes:
Dear Me, don’t fret. Cup size only matters when you order a drink. You look fabulous in those jeans. Respect your body. You are good enough. The right guy will tell you that you are unique and mean it, and 20 years later he’ll still think so. Pretty doesn’t last; character does.
Drop your worries, all of them. In 20 years, none of the scenarios you have dreamt up will have manifested the way you expected. There are holes in your theory.
Changing your major won’t change your mind on what you are most passionate about; it will teach you to go after what you want. Grades don’t matter in the real world. Tenacity does.
Stop trying to impress your parents. They are proud of you even if they don’t understand your methods. Really, they just want you to move out and move on.
You won’t die if he isn’t The One, because he’s not it. Hold on though, because the right one is next in line. Protect your heart. Keep it open. Trust it to lie to you, but let it. Even the lies are lessons.
When someone shows you their true nature, believe them. Loyalty is not a boomerang. Friends will betray you, family will burn you and time will be wasted if you worry about the “why.”
Outgrow the philosophy that “what was” is “what will always be.” Don’t count on it. Don’t wish for it either.
You cannot even begin to imagine the amazing things ahead of you and I promise that looking backwards won’t get you where you want to go.
Take care of your skin and be nice to your digestive system. It’s a vicious cycle if you don’t love your body. Trust me when I tell you, one day you will be in the fight for your life and that body will prove to be a miracle. Someday, it will host two of the most incredible human beings you’ll ever have the honour to know.
Don’t stress over your career, but don’t settle either.
Challenge yourself and keep learning, because the degree on your wall won’t be the guarantee, but it won’t lose its value either. You can die from boredom. Don’t waste your mind or your talent.
You don’t need to have it all figured out yet, or ever really, because life isn’t a race.
Spend less time trying to figure out who you are or what you should be, because every breath is the answer.
The finish line is not a destination you want to rush to.
Love fully. I promise you the only real rewards in your life will centre on that one theme. You won’t regret love. Ever. Amen.
Okay, flip the calendar. I still have so much to learn. I’m ready.