I used to have a list of 101 things I wanted to accomplish in 1001 days. Then, I found other things I wanted to do, and stopped working on the list. One of my undone 101 things, was to write a letter to my teenage self. Recently, Raam Dev wrote a some advice for his younger self and reminded me that this was an important task.
When I actually sat down and started writing, I realized that while I could have used the advice back then. I probably wouldn’t have listened, but maybe my 15 year old daughter will.
Dear B on your 15th Birthday,
I am so proud of the girl you have been, the person you are today, and the woman you will become. I hope one day, (maybe even today) that some of these lessons I’ve learned, will help make your journey even more powerful.
- Letting go is not the same as giving up.
- If you find something that you really love doing, learn it, master it. Don’t worry if you don’t stick with it though, because it will come back to you.
- A broken heart will hurt more than a broken arm. Don’t use it as an excuse to love less. You decide if the break weakens or strengthens your heart.
- Love someone enough to make decisions that they might not like, even if that someone is you.
- Always act from a place of compassion and you will change someone’s life.
- You are skinnier than you think you are.
- Sleep enough, you can play more tomorrow.
- Don’t worry if you don’t know what you want to be when you grow up. Just decide who you want to be today.
- Save some money. Compound interest is your friend.
- God will be there when you are ready and he is big enough for your questions.
- Build more relationships in your neighborhood than you do on your computer.
- Don’t wait until you are 40 to try eggplant and other foods that you think are weird.
- Eat more greens.
- If someone tells you something that you don’t want to hear. Listen anyway. Someday, you might appreciate the advice.
- Never put anything you don’t want the world to know, today or in 50 years, in writing.
- Your world is not the world.
- Laugh hard.
- Cry.
- Apologize.
- You can’t fix everything.
- Be kind to yourself. Treat your body well, it’s the only one you get!
- Music really can make a bad day better.
- Credit cards never get you where you want to go.
- Going through bad stuff and spending time with bad people, makes you really appreciate good stuff and good people.
- I am always here for you. Even when you think I’m not.