If I could talk to my younger self,
I would tell her,
Keep going,
Nothing lasts forever.
Then I would add,
Treasure every moment,
For nothing lasts forever.
I would tell her to forgive more often,
Forgive others,
Forgive herself,
Because holding grudges in the end only hurts her.
If I could talk to my younger self,
I would say,
The path you choose matters less than how you walk it.
Wherever you go,
There is joy to be found in every step.
But I would also say,
Trust the inner voice that leads you towards some paths and away from others.
If I could talk to my younger self,
I would remind her of her intrinsic beauty,
How red her heart is,
How her veins resemble roots,
How her fingertips are like tree rings and how unique their pattern is.
I would tell her most people struggle to accept themselves and kindness is the highest currency we have.
If I could talk to my younger self,
I would explain all the things she'll have to learn the hard way.
But it's impossible to run away from our emotions and the only way forwards is to accept them.
And we can't change anyone but ourselves.
But she already knows what she truly wants – she's just too concerned with what others think.
That we teach others how to treat us by showing them how we treat ourselves.
That whatever she feeds her mind will take root.
But above all,
I would say to her,
You can accumulate all the knowledge in the world inside the walls of your mind.
But true richness can only be found in the experiences you live.
So go live.
Live from your body.
Engage your five senses.
You deserve to live your best life.
And your best life doesn't have to look like anyone else's.
Nor does it mean you have to climb the highest mountain or give up everything and fly across the world.
But it might mean being mindful of the little treasures that you encounter in day to day life.
It might mean enjoying your favourite meal,
Or a simple walk,
Or a conversation with someone you care about.
It might mean saying yes to a small new thing and no to something old.
It might even mean planning all the necessary steps to climb that mountain or fly across the world and enjoy that process.
Enjoy the stepping stones.
Celebrate them.
If I could talk to my younger self,
I would say,
I love you.
I know it's been hard.
It's not always hard.
Often it's beautiful,
Even when it's hard.
And after talking I would sit by her side in silence and let silence speak.
Because it is in silence where she will find what she needs to hear.
Like this.
Just let in silence do the talking.
If my younger self could talk to me,
What would she say?
What would she remind me that I've forgotten?
Would I listen to her?
Perhaps from today onwards we can blend our timelines together.
We can choose to learn from one another,
For there is wisdom in every stage of life.
And then we'll find meaning in all these lessons.
And we'll be able to face the remaining lessons knowing that,
In the end,
All is well,
Even when all seems to go wrong for a while.
Even when we have to learn the same lesson over and over again.
Even when it hurts.
Because we'll be right there to pick ourselves up and keep going like we've done so many times.
We'll let past and present collide in order to build a better future.
And we will be whole.
And we will be right.
We will be rich.
And we will be alive well lived.
Our best life.
