Listening now…
Dear younger self,
I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to offer you something, anything, that I have learned and picked up while drifting through this little thing we call life.
If I can say anything, it’s this. Stay young as long as possible. Preferably, always. Don’t lose that butterfly feeling in your tummy you got as a kid in the summer running through the grass with your friends.
Yes, the feeling is different now- it’s been re-invented, you may have to look harder to find it.
But I’m telling you that it’s there.
Find it in whatever way it exists for you, keep it with you always.
Your friends from high school may always be your favorite, and it may be hard to trump them- but you must try anyway. Branch out- it will be good for you.
I know you don’t like meeting new people and making new friends, you feel you are not “good” at it. You should probably give yourself more credit… always remember how far you have come rather than how far others have gotten in comparison to you. I always preferred a small friend group, anyway. [ Introvert post ]
You may lose friends along the way…
Our lives are different, but because I am a sensitive human being this will affect me more than the average person. Don’t let it. Let nature take it’s course, it knows what it’s doing. Trust the path at hand, it’s there for a reason and knows you better than you may know yourself.
However, I’ve realized that you will also have those friends who you have known forever, they know everything about you [ I mean everything], and you can pick up just where you left off when you see them-[ Joey ]
Those friendships are a different kind altogether.
Take as much time as you need after high school to explore yourself. Some people know right away what they want to do with their lives, you are are not one of those people. That’s okay- just don’t rush into anything for the sake of pressure from society.
And don’t think it’s not okay to take detours. You don’t have to stay on the same path you have been on-it’s never too late to take a sharp turn.
But no matter what happens, no regrets. Education is never a waste, learning is always beneficial.
Take that weird elective. Nothing is weird in college, anyway. Take classes even after you graduate and are working full time. It will be hard- but never stop exploring. You may find that who you are and what your interests are change a lot over time.
Whoever you are, be that.
This is probably cliche, but I’m going to say it anyway.
I used to think it was silly that I loved being alone and playing video games. I have learned to embrace the fact that I am me: Introverted ; gamer., among other things…
It’s okay to still listen to Brand New and Dashboard Confessional when you are sad OR when you are just getting ready for a night out. Either works. They are there for you, always. Pick them up again whenever you need them, feel the high school nostalgia at it’s finest. [ Listen to song above ]
What a great letter! I recently wrote one to my 18 year old self. It’s amazing how fast we grow up…I can’t believe I’m in grad school now and am engaged. I loved learning about the lessons you learned along the way. Losing friends is hard but it makes us tough and who we are today ❤
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Thank you chels- im glad you could relate! Sounds like you have learned a lot along the way too 🙂
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Love that phrase…whoever you are, be that!
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We all could use a little reminder every now and then 🙂
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This is a great letter for a lot of your younger selfs. Some days I miss that butterfly feeling – it doesn’t come as often now.
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Thank you very much… And i think when we are older it is just time to get creative and find things that give us back that feeling 🙂
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Yes! We try to have kids grow up too fast while the adults need to refind that amazing thing that is childhood.
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Yes most definitely…!
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I loved this. Its sometimes bittersweet to think of our selves as we once were. If we could only tell our younger selves that who we are is good enough!
xoxo Mickey http://www.mybashfullife.com/
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Yes definitely bittersweet at times… Thanks for the comment mickey
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Yes Dashboard and Hawthorne Heights! Love this letter. I typically write a letter to my future self each year just to remind myself of my dreams and reflex on how I’ve changed
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Oh wow- that is a great idea. Next year i should write one too- that is also a great blog idea, too! Thanks for the comment dia 🙂
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So sweet! It’s crazy to look back and think what you would do differently!
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Yes- definitely crazy, indeed! Thanks for the comment Claire!
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This is a great post Shan!
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Thanks! =D
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This is a very touching letter. I used to hate going out and making friends. Still do, lol. But the memories I have of my childhood are awfully special and can never be erased. I know what you mean. I used to play tons of video-games. Now, I don’t seem to have the time. But life has gifted me with a lovely husband and pup. Couldn’t be more grateful. Lovely post. Keep up the good work!
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I wish someone had written a letter like this to me when I was younger. It would have been nice to be reassured that it’s ok to take longer routes than others to figure out what I want to do with life. And that it’s ok to be an introvert. =p That one, I really wish I’d known earlier because I spent so long trying to be an extrovert, even when I felt drained and exhausted, because that’s what I thought I “should” be like. You have such wonderful and beautiful thoughts!
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Thank you so much tiffany for the kind words! I really do appreciate them – i know what you mean. I spent way too long thinking introversion was a bad thing too!
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