Letter to your younger self

Jova114Jova114
in General

Good day my fellow live action pillow pets!

If you could write a letter to your younger self to read, what would it say?

And I'm not talking the cliche "invest in (insert company name)" or "bet on this sporting event"

I mean something personal that would of helped you back then.

For me, other than getting checked out mentally, it would be accepting myself for me. I spent too long trying to fit in, dressing a certain way, talking a certain way.
Now I'm me
:)

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Comments

  • [Deleted User]DFGH1982 (deleted user)

    I would thank my younger self for loving me and investing in me so that I could be the person I am now. I would thank me for food to nourish my body, education to enrich my mind, and exercise to strengthen me. Then I would reflect that today’s me is tomorrow’s younger self and I would continue to pour love and time into my future.

    Great question, by the way. 💕

  • Jova114Jova114

    @DFGH1982
    Wow what a response! So happy to hear about the self love!! That's truly awesome!
    And thank you!
    I honestly try to make good forum topics that spark thought or conversation

  • TheDave90TheDave90

    I think mine would be something like a letter of encouragement, that social anxiety can be worked on and not to be afraid to get it treated.
    I didn't get myself sorted until well into my 20's, but even though I still have some issues I feel so much better about myself. I regret waiting for so long, but meh.

  • Jova114Jova114

    @DaveTheBrit
    I can totally relate to that man. It took me until my 30s to really work on myself.
    But im glad that you are at a good place with yourself now

  • CuddleHugs01234CuddleHugs01234
    edited September 2023

    “Listen to your gut feeling about things and act upon it.”

  • Jova114Jova114

    @CuddleHugs01234
    That's very good advice.
    Is there anything in particular you wish you listened to your gut?

    If that's too forward, I do apologize.

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod
    edited September 2023

    "You're a total screw-up. Go to therapy."

    (Edit: I put quotation marks round that because without them it felt like it could have been misconstrued as an instruction to the OP!)

  • Jova114Jova114

    @CuddleDuncan
    Isn't that being a little hard on yourself?
    Though I do suggest everybody go to therapy.

    And thank you for the edit/clarification,
    Though from your consistent posts I get the feeling you wouldn't do something like that

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod
    edited September 2023

    @Jova114
    No - it's true, honest, fair and difficult to misinterpret. You're right it's not sympathetic, but I was unfamaliar with sympathy at the time and it would just have confused me.

    from your consistent posts I get the feeling you wouldn't do something like that

    Yeah .... it's not like I don't think it sometimes though. 🙄 (Not for this thread!)

  • Jova114Jova114

    @CuddleDuncan
    I can see where you are coming from. I know younger me wouldn't listen to 2023 me, cause back then I knew everything.

    Lol and I'm sure we all think it. But there's a difference in thinking it and actually saying it

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod

    @Jova114 for the avoidance of doubt I would not be upset or offended by such a remark, then or now.

  • JasonCuddlesJasonCuddles

    Anything that was harder for me when I was younger impacted who I am today and since I am happy with who I am, mostly, I wouldn't write a letter.

    I would currently accept a letter from my future self though, now that I know the type of life I wish to live. Information on how best to accomplish this would be beneficial.

  • JoyfulHeartJoyfulHeart

    I would tell my younger self to hang in there, and that things would get better.

  • [Deleted User]cere (deleted user)

    It’s an interesting question. Lucky me, someone already wrote a song about it “Give me some sunshine, give me some some rain, give me another chance, I wanna grow up once again”. I’ll send this song at this point in life.
    Ideally I would wait until I’m about to die to write such a letter. Thanks @Jova114 for sharing such a thought provoking question.

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel

    So much to write….

    Don’t take the quaalude with alcohol on your 21st birthday.

    Don’t go to the Grateful Dead or The Cars concerts unless you enjoy watching people loitering on stage. They both sucked.

    Don’t go out with that brunette bombshell that was hitting on you for weeks only to find out her boyfriend is a Golden Gloves boxer.

    Don’t drive that old Chevelle in ten inches of snow. Rear wheel drive and snow don’t mix.

    Don’t show your friends how you can ride a bike at top speed with your eyes closed. Steel dumpsters don’t budge.

    Yes the neighbor’s wood fence burns when you put a match to it…prolifically.

    Don’t go streaking with friends in front of a cop’s house when you are the one that falls down.

    I will leave it at that for now.

  • Ironman294Ironman294
    edited September 2023

    Buy crypto, don’t use credit cards, go into finance, forget about art.

  • [Deleted User]CharlesInWI (deleted user)

    Hello me.

    You won’t believe this, because you are young, naive, hopeful, and stupid, but I am supposed to write to you, with a bit of advice.

    Here it is: Don’t bother.

    Be kind, be patient, but take nothing seriously and don’t be attached to anything.

    -Me

  • cuddlefaerycuddlefaery
    edited September 2023

    Hey you,

    First - it gets easier, and harder, but still easier in a way. You won't always feel so lost and out of place. The world isn't always hard and loud and heavy. You are not too much, too little, or too late.

    You've already learned you're a late bloomer... you're right. You won't really start hitting your stride til your mid-30s and by then you'll have a lot of catching up to do. But that's ok, because a lot of people will be going to shit too, and you'll have gone your own path and have a lot of great stories and skills because of it.

    You'll make mistakes, and that's ok also. It's how you'll learn and grow. Try not to be too hard on yourself. Remember what you tell your students and embrace your Ms. Frizzle.

    You're going to lose a lot of people, and at first that's going to wreck you. But eventually you'll figure out that not everyone is meant to join you on your path forever - some only join us a short while, but that doesn't make them less important. However long they're with you, they'll still have altered your course and helped make you into who you are.

    And finally, while you might not really regret things... it's ok to get angry. Right now I've only just learned how to feel that again, but I wouldn't be upset if you learned it a little earlier for us. We may have had to forget how to feel anger, but it's not good for us and relearning it is a b*tch.

    Stay magical, weirdo 💖

    P.S. Don't forget to do the thing. No, the other thing.

    P.P.S. Chels has your books still. You're welcome.

  • Jova114Jova114

    @JasonCuddles
    What an interesting twist. Love it!

    @JoyfulHeart
    That is a good one! Things DO eventually get better!

    @cere
    What song is that?
    And thank you for sharing your input!
    😊

    @BoomerSpooner my friend it sounds like you have tons of stories to tell!

    @Ironman294
    Credit cards are the worst!!!! I still don't learn that lol

    @CharlesInWI
    Can you CC younger me on that letter? Lol

  • Jova114Jova114

    @cuddlefaery
    That's a very sweet and thoughtful letter to younger you!
    😁

  • cheeseboycheeseboy Mod

    The me-specific stuff I'd put in a letter:

    • life gets better
    • follow your dreams
    • communication is more important than you realize

    Brad Paisley's "letter to me" fits very well here.

  • CuddleHugs01234CuddleHugs01234

    @Jova114 I’ll message you.
    @BoomerSpooner hilarious, thanks for sharing. Any advice for rear wheel drive in snow…is it go really slow?

  • cuddlefaerycuddlefaery

    @Jova114 thanks :) I've written them before, and fairly recently, for therapy and especially for reparenting. It can help a lot even if it never sees the light of day - just thinking about what you'd say helps you change your inner monologue usually.

  • Jova114Jova114

    @cheeseboy
    Communication is very important. Didn't learn that til my 30s.

    Great song!
    I was gonna write a song about sending a letter to my younger self
    Glad it's a good idea for a song lol

  • Jova114Jova114

    @cuddlefaery
    I've been told that helps I just never got around to actually doing it

  • [Deleted User]KYtransplant (deleted user)

    Dear 13 yr old self,

    Here are the red flags and words of abusive and manipulative people. Do not trust them. Watch for thier actions to never line up with thier words.

    Emotional abuse is abuse. You don't have to be black, blue and bleeding for it to hurt terribly. Family is not exempt from this either.

    Here are healthy boundaries, use them. Those who respect them respect you.

    You are an introvert. You are not weird or damaged for panicking in loud overwhelming environments.

    You have known what you want out of life since you where a little girl. Understand that well meaning people will fail to realize this and think you will change your mind. You will be glad you didn't.

    Education is not just degrees. It's a willingness to read, explore, step outside what you have always done and try something new. You will find that you're really good at writing too once spell check and the ability to edit and delete is easier.

    And always adopt the dog.

  • Jova114Jova114

    @KYtransplant
    Very powerful advice!
    You're 100% right with the emotional abuse and family is not exempt.
    I support this letter!

  • [Deleted User]CharlesInWI (deleted user)

    @Jova114

    🫂

  • Jova114Jova114

    @CharlesInWI
    Bring it in brotha!
    🤗🤗🤗

  • TxTomTxTom

    Dear Tom,
    There's this student named Michael Dell at UT. Go be his friend and ask him if he needs any money for his new dorm room based business.

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