A Letter to My Younger Self

If I could sit down with the little girl I used to be, there are a few things I would want her to know.

Sweet girl,

Life isn’t going to be easy. You’re going to go through trials and tribulations. There will be hills and valleys, lows and highs, and moments when you wonder how you’re going to find the strength to keep going.

You’re going to meet people who try to tear you down. Some will find joy in your failures, and some will try to convince you that you’re not as smart, talented, or capable as you really are.

Please, sweet girl, don’t believe them.

You are so smart. Please don’t allow anyone to convince you otherwise. Never let someone else’s opinion become the limit you place on yourself.

You are talented. You have a way with words, you can hold your own in a conversation, and you have an ability to read people that will serve you well throughout your life. These are gifts. Don’t spend your life questioning whether you have anything worthwhile to offer the world.

There will be people who don’t like you, and sometimes you won’t understand why. You’ll spend time wondering what you did wrong or what you could have done differently. But you’ll eventually learn that not everyone who dislikes you has a reason that has anything to do with you. Sometimes people are fighting battles within themselves that you could never fix for them.

Don’t waste your life trying to convince everyone to see your worth.

Believe in yourself more than other people hope for your downfall.

And when people are unkind, kill them with kindness. Not because you should allow anyone to walk all over you, but because you don’t have to become the very thing that hurt you. You can stand up for yourself without losing the goodness in your heart.

You are strong, sweet girl. You are powerful. And the life you’re going to build will be more beautiful than any life you could dream up for yourself right now.

No, you may not be rich in money. But you will be rich in love. You will learn that some of the greatest treasures in life cannot be bought, and that a beautiful life isn’t always the one that looks the most impressive to everyone else.

There will be days when life knocks you down. There will be moments when your dreams feel too far away, when you question yourself, and when you wonder if you’re capable of doing the things you’ve always imagined.

But listen to me.

It’s not about how many times life knocks you down. It’s about what you choose to do after you fall.

Get back up, sweet girl.

Dream again.

Try again.

And please, don’t spend your life making yourself smaller just because someone else cannot see how much you’re capable of becoming.

You don’t need everyone to believe in you. You need to learn to believe in yourself.

Be kind. Be true to who you are. Keep your heart open, but learn to protect your peace. Never stop learning, never stop growing, and never allow someone else’s opinion of you to become the story you tell yourself.

You have so much more ahead of you than you can possibly imagine.

And one day, I hope you’ll look back and realize that even through the hard times, even through the disappointments, even through the moments when you weren’t sure of yourself, you kept going.

That is something to be proud of.

With love,

The woman you’re becoming.

If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would you say? What advice would you give her, and what would you want her to know about the life she has yet to live? 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Share your letter in the comments below. You never know who might need to hear your words.