After reading Solange’s letter to her teenage self, I decided to do the same and write a letter to my younger self.
This is what I said:
A Letter to My Younger Self
My letter is to the 17-year-old me.
I’ve written my letter as advice on how to navigate my late teens and early twenties as I found the transition from teenager to young adult challenging.
Hey Lea,
I’ve wanted to write this letter to you for a long time, and I wish I had written it to you much sooner.
The first thing I want to say is that you don’t have to be afraid.
You have spent most of your life on tenterhooks, waiting for the next disagreement, for the peace to be shattered yet again and I know you are terrified of making decisions just in case you get it wrong.
Trust yourself and you won’t go too far wrong, besides most things are really not that significant.
I know you’re often punished for minor things, often mistakes you couldn’t help, but life won’t always be like that. You’re allowed to make mistakes – in fact, it’s part of being human.
Each mistake will teach you something.
Some lessons will be painful but they won’t kill you or destroy you, they will simply help you to grow. You won’t always see it at the time, but trust me, you will learn a hell of a lot over the next few years.
Don’t let mistakes stop you from trying new things and experimenting and don’t lose confidence just because you make a mistake.
The second thing I want to say to you, and this is important, is to stop hiding who you are and dumbing yourself down to make others feel more comfortable.
You are bright and intelligent. Be proud of that and use it to your advantage.
It is an invaluable trait to be curious and to ask questions. I know it often makes you stand out from others and it’s got you into trouble on more than one occasion, however, it is one of your biggest assets.
In some ways you are different and it’s not a bad thing.
It’s OK not to think the same as everyone around you, in fact, it’s a damn good thing.
Most of what you have been taught in school and by society is not fact, it’s simply information fed to you to control the masses, so you are right to question everything.
People say you think too much and this will continue as you move through adulthood. Eventually, you’ll see that more often than not, those same people don’t think enough.
People say you think you’re too nice and as you grow older, your kindness and refusal to do what everyone else is doing will really piss people off – even so-called friends.
Your happy demeanour and optimistic outlook sometimes rub people up the wrong way, for seemingly no reason.
Do NOT make apologies or feel guilty for who you are. The world needs more people like you.
Everyone’s ultimate goal is to be happy, so when people can’t find it for themselves, it may frustrate them to see that you appear to have achieved it – whether or not they know your story.
You are finding your place in the world just like everyone else, so no one has the right to make you feel inferior for simply being who you are.
You don’t have to sleep around, you don’t have to like clubbing or drinking alcohol and you don’t need to do it to fit in.
In fact, you don’t need to fit in. It will only make you feel even more disconnected and unhappy in the future.
You do not have to conform.
You can hold out for someone you feel a true connection with, despite other people telling you that you’re too fussy.
You don’t have to settle.
Now, it’s important that you truly believe what I’m going to say next…
You are NOT responsible for your parent’s relationship or their happiness and it is not your responsibility to bring up your sister.
Nurture your relationship with her as your little sister and of course, be there for her as her big sister. Love, guide and support her. Enjoy her.
At the same time, live your life freely and make the most of it.
You do not have to feel guilty for wanting the freedom to live your own life.
Travel, explore and experiment. Find out what makes you happy.
Your life is your own and you owe no one an explanation. If you want to spend time alone, do it. If someone makes you feel bad about yourself, stay away from them.
Energy matters.
Positive energy flows freely from you and as you get older, you will have to work hard to protect your energy.
Put healthy boundaries in place and teach people how to treat you. Do not adapt to how they choose to treat you.
You don’t have to accept any negative behaviour towards you.
Don’t let society’s bullshit constructs about relationships (romantic or other) keep you in unhappy situations.
Know that you are important. Believe that you matter.
It is not selfish to take care of yourself and put yourself first. Prioritise your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and well-being and do not let anyone make you feel guilty for doing so. It’s vital.
Stay active and keep growing.
Read, write, meditate and stretch daily. Even when you don’t feel like it, do them all, every day.
Commit to a daily routine and protect that time. It’s sacred. Don’t worry if others don’t see the importance.
Finally, trust your instincts.
This will come with age as you get to know yourself, which means spending time alone and trusting your own voice.
Trust that you know what’s best for you.
Spending time alone doesn’t make you sad, crazy or a loser, it will be the most valuable time you spend doing anything.
I feel like there is so much more I want to tell you… but I’ll wrap it up here.
Always be happy Lea, no matter what happens, protect your happiness and peace of mind.
Always be true to you.
Immense Love Always,
35-year-old Leanne
Writing a letter to my younger self was extremely therapeutic and cathartic and I’d recommend it to everyone.
It is a powerful process that gives your inner child a voice and provides wisdom, clarity and direction for moving forward positively in life.
Journal prompts:
- What advice do I wish someone had given me when I was younger?
- What do I know now that I wish I had known then?
- How can I use that same advice in my life today?
Affirmation: Being who I truly am is my divine right
Image Credit: Unsplash
I love your letter to your younger self and it contains many pieces of advice I wish I had had when younger. Things I have learnt and things my Mum told me as a teenager that I ignored or didn’t believe.
However I have a fundamental question. I have been asked by different coaches and providers of personal support, at different times, about the advice I would give my younger self or what I would write in a letter to my younger self. I have always struggled to answer the question, maybe because I have never been sure the reason for the exercise.
I would like to have a better understanding of why one would do this. How does it help? What does it help with?
Hi Alison, writing a letter to your younger self is an exercise for reflection. It can be used to look at your life journey so far and think about what you may do differently if you had the chance. This can then help you to look at your behaviour today and see if you are still repeating anything from your past that is negatively (or even positively) affecting your life today. Does that make more sense?