The future has such a way of working out, you almost forget that there was a time when you were lost and unsure. You're growing up, kiddo. And once you start thinking about the journey so far, you might start to think about everything you want to say to your younger self. Your younger self was a work in progress, and the person you are now is still ever changing.
Unfortunately, there aren't any time machines to give your younger self the scoop about the future. Yeah, it would have saved you from a lot of headaches, heartbreaks, and worrying, but you needed those obstacles to help shape who you are now. Your younger self could have benefited from at least knowing things would be OK. This is especially true during those very trying times when you couldn't see the silver lining of your crappy situation.
I know, the process is such a struggle, but it's so worth it. You don't regret the things you had to go through in order to get to where you are now. Consider how much has happened from the time you were 18 years old. It's true what they say about getting wiser with age, but there will always be tidbits of intel you wish you could tell the younger you. Here are just a few things we wish we knew then:
Think about your friends when you were younger in comparison to now. You learned so much about what you need and expect in friendships. This evolution has made you cherish the people who matter, instead of trying to appease people who don't deserve your dedication.
Your younger self could be so critical and analytical. Luckily, that self-scrutiny mostly or completely subsided. As you got older, you realized the importance of giving yourself kudos because you decided you should be your own cheerleader. You deserve to be cheered on.
Oh, high school. Remember when fitting in was mandatory and having as many friends as possible was glorified? High school was its own little world, and because you were young, you became consumed by its rules and regulations. It would have been nice to tell the teenage you that was high school was only a phase and there'd be so much more after that.
Let's throw some shade at 21-year-old self for a sec. You know, the one who felt like they needed to have everything figured out as if they knew it all. Your early 20s were pretty complicated at times, as you got your footing in adulthood. Telling yourself to sit back, observe, and learn would have given you contentment sooner.
No one likes to hear that their parents have basically been spewing golden advice their entire lives. When you were younger, you didn't want to hear it most of the time. Now that you're older, you realize how useful their perspective is. And boy, if you had started internalizing their advice sooner, you would have made way fewer mistakes. You live and you learn.
You don't have enough fingers and toes to count how many times honesty would have straightened things out. The truth really would have set you free, and looking back makes you realize that so much. Thankfully, you've started giving honesty the credit it deserves, but it could have untangled several sticky situations in the past.
Nothing is ever entirely by the book. Your fairy tale is whatever you envision it to be. Your younger self may have been persistent on finding their person and adhering to societal standards of settling down. Your happiness is on a schedule you set.
Failure doesn't necessarily get any easier, but by now, you've learned that it isn't permanent. You only fail when you stop trying. Your younger self didn't take failure lightly and it may have held you back from pursuing certain things you had to make up later in time. As long as your perspective of failure has changed for the better, you'd make your younger self proud.
You're not living in the past if there are a few things you wish you could tell your younger self. You've done so much growing since then, and looking back makes you appreciate yourself even more.
