Hey you,
How are you feeling today? I am about to turn 26, and looking back, I just know there are so many things I should have told my younger self. There are mistakes you made and there are so many times you were let down. Did you expect a bit too much from people, or was society expecting too much of you?
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Either way, I know things didn’t happen the way you had planned. This is a letter to my younger self, but it relates with each one of us who have had our share of mistakes to regret and some really amazing memories to cherish as well. I know you tried really hard; you did all you could, but somewhere along the path, you felt like you failed yourself. The bad news is that, yes, you did fail. The good news, though, is that everyone does and you managed to get back up, and that is all that truly matters in the end.
Those nasty breakups
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Yes, you were just 16 when that boy broke your heart. I remember how you shut down your whole world and succumbed to the broken shards of your heart. You always thought that nothing would heal the pain and that your heart would never recover, didn’t you?
Oh darling! This letter to my younger self is to tell you that I am 26 (almost) and I have had my heart broken more times than I can count on my fingers, and you know what – I would do all of it again! Remember those lines you read in Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem in ninth grade – “It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.” Yes, dear, it holds true in our lives.
I am glad that you got your heart broken because we needed to know that not every story is destined for a happy ending. I am still to meet my Mr. Right who will stand by my side, but does that by any means imply that I have given up on love or that I have given up the hope that love would blossom in my life again? Heck, no!
If anything, I now know that you may break your heart too many times, but baby, we need to be strong until the very end.
Every breakup will leave you with the strength to patch back the broken shards and to trust love again. Give love one more chance until it helps you find that one person who makes it worth all your efforts because I know eventually it always will.
You are beautiful
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I remember when you were 15 and had the army of zits and acne break you down. Remember that time when you skipped school for 3 days because you thought you weren’t good enough? You thought that it was a sin to look that terrible. Oh dear! How baseless those thoughts seem now.
The real world is often nasty and you will find people who would be mean to you and who will call you names even when you are flawless. Perfection is just another myth like forever is.
These words are coined by people to trap us in an illusion. It doesn’t matter how you look, it is the beauty inside your heart and the confidence you can so sexily wear that ends up making all the difference. You have to know that nothing can make you ugly.
You are beautiful and you will always be, so stop being so harsh on yourself! The hunk clad in ripped jeans, who never once spared you a look doesn’t define how pretty you are. The world can be a harsh place and you will encounter some tough experiences no matter how you look.
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Not having one of these dudes by your side doesn’t define your prettiness quotient. Beauty is something that is more than skin deep. A few marks on your face do not take the shine away.
Stop beating yourself up. Stop locking yourself in rooms. You deserve to be pampered. You need friends, love, and you must live your life. I want you to go out and embrace the awesomeness which is packed inside you. I have fallen in love with who you used to be and I am so proud of what you made yourself.
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Live for yourself
Yes, contrary to what everyone says, there is nothing wrong with living for yourself. It is okay to be selfish once in a while; after all, you deserve it. Cut yourself an extra slice of cake and do not share it. Not even with the sister you love so much.
You can go shopping and wear the dress mom told you not to buy. It is not about being a rebel, but rather following your heart and chasing your dreams. Disregard societal ‘rules’ and be ready to do what you wish to achieve.
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Trust me, I am happier now and glad that you decided to trust your wings. If you want to fly high, you need to trust the power in your own wings. No, I don’t want you to be reckless and make your life a pool of regrets, but it is okay to take some chances once in a while. You don’t need to try to be ‘perfect’ all the time.
Don’t chase love
Yes, darling, this one you must know. I remember how you chased that nasty guy in the eleventh grade even though he treated you like trash. Remember, you are worthy and any guy who treats you poorly doesn’t deserve a place in your life.
Don’t chase love too hard because it will happen when the timing is right. You might think that love won’t happen again, but it does. When you have locked all doors, love will still make way through the little cracks that remain. Once love stirs your beautiful heart, you will open all doors again and welcome the beautiful emotion within.
So, use this time to build your career, to set your path, and to chase your dreams. I want you to see the beauty of life. Life is so much more than just another boyfriend.
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Live your life, go out with your friends, and travel. You need to make memories so that when I look back, I see a collage of wonderful pictures. I want you to live every moment rather than ruin your mascara and smudge your eyeliner over a stupid boy.
Travel to places you may never be
Yes, this is one piece of advice I really want my younger self to know. You absolutely must travel; it’s such an enriching experience. You will learn so much more from these trips than from almost anything else. You need to go out more often. Staying locked in that 4 x 6 cubicle is not going to bring you too many memories.
You can give your life to work, but when I am almost 26, I know the paychecks can always come some other way, but the memories don’t. No good memories are those of working too hard on Saturday evenings. I wish you had gone out a little more.
Pick your friends. Stay, don’t leave
Don’t ditch that friend you made in third grade because she wasn’t on par with the popularity meter in high school. Remember, people are so much more than what they look like. It is under the external beauty that the real love resides. You need to see the hearts before you share the smiles.
As I look back at my life, I realize you let a lot of good friends slip away because you were always busy chasing something or the other. You need to stop that. Simply live every moment. There is a lot of life and love in living in the moment.
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Regardless, don’t be afraid of the mistakes you make. Don’t let regrets define the life you live. Good or bad – time heals it all and everything passes. All is fine with me, which means that you did a good job.
I hope just like I am proud of my younger self, you too would be proud of your older self. We did a good job. Cheers to the love, life, smiles, tears, broken hearts, and ecstatic emotions.
You are amazing, little one! I am so proud of you. You were great, if not greater.
Love,
Your older self
Featured image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
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