A Letter To My Younger Self

Dear Younger Me,

It’s almost 2017, can you believe it? We’ve made it through a whopping 15 years; and in those 15 years, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned things I wish I knew when I was younger. Things that would’ve made everything so much more different, but I suppose you’ve got to make the mistakes before you can learn from them. Today, I’ve decided to share them with you. I’m going to tell you all the advice I wish I knew when I was in your place, when I was just a short, chubby little girl whose biggest problem was who she was going to invite to her 11th birthday party. I want to tell you all the knowledge I’ve gained since then.

STOP GOING BACK FOR OLD FRIENDS. Stop trying to reconnect all the lines that were cut loose. You can’t fix everything. It took me a while to figure this one out. Be satisfied with your friends now. It’s useless trying to patch things up with the person you’ve already drifted apart with. Because they’ve made new friends, and so have you. Don’t try to mix friend groups, stick with yours. They must be an amazing group of people if they have you.  Be happy with that.

Here’s a myth buster for you: the number of followers you have on social media doesn’t matter! The number of likes you get on your selfie doesn’t define who you are, I hope you know that. I get it, popularity might seem like the world to you now, but later in life, none of that will matter. Quit praising the people that have a thousand followers and 500 likes on every picture, they’re no better than you. You’re just as good as any of them; 2000 followers or not.

You better pay attention to this one because this is an important one. By the time I learned this lesson, it was a tad too late. DON’T. CRY. FOR. SOME. DUMB. BOY. If he broke you heart, you shouldn’t let any tears drop for him. You can do SO MUCH better. It’s his loss, he has no clue what he’s missing out on. Trust me on this, he should be the one crying for passing up this opportunity. There are so many other boys out there, better boys, boys who will treat you how you deserved to be treated. You deserve more than this boy. It might be difficult, but you have to leave him. If you weren’t his first choice, he shouldn’t be a choice to you at all! When you find someone who actually appreciates you, you’ll begin to see how amazing your life is.

I hope you always remember to be yourself. Stop trying to be someone else because I promise there is no one out there who suits you more than you do. If you think becoming somebody else will make people like you, honey, you’re SO wrong. Girl, I’m telling you right now, they already do, but you shouldn’t worry if everyone likes you or not because honestly, they don’t matter. You don’t need approval from every single person to live your life. So what if you’re not friends with everybody?And so what if not everybody at your school knows who you are? The most important part is that you have tight group of people who do.

Making three best friends is a hundred times better than making a thousand mutual friends who don’t even know how to pronounce your last name. It might take some time, but soon enough, you’ll find your right group. You could spend years hanging out with all the wrong people and become so oblivious to the toxic relationship that’s forming. Open your eyes. Quit spending your time on people who’ll stab you in the back the first chance they get. Avoid spending your time on people who don’t deserve you. Stop hanging around that same boy that broke your heart and the same “friend” that went behind your back. Drop them and look up. Maybe the real friends were standing in front of you the whole time but you were just so blinded by the backstabbers that you didn’t notice. Everything becomes much clearer without that toxic friendship of yours blocking your view. Drop them. Drop them all. And start picking up new ones. Better ones. Ones that will stay on your side. And with them, have the time of your life and create the most memorable of memories. You’re so much more than what you let on. I hope one day you get to realize how great you are and that you are full of confidence.

Stop doubting yourself.

The best is yet to come.

Sincerely,

Hilary

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