Inspired recently by a writing challenge I was tagged to, I thought I would send a letter to my past self with some advice.
I was always (and still am to some degree), a painfully shy, unconfident person, who found it very difficult to grasp what life was about, and what I should be doing. So much so, that, at times, it was almost painful to have contact with people in general. This has lessened somewhat over the years, although I still prefer my own company, or that of a cat.
To Me in the past
I know that life looks a confusing bundle of mystery for you. You ask yourself questions, like ‘how am I ever going to understand this life?’ As someone who knows where you will be going, let me give you some advice, because who better to navigate you on your way.
I am going to give you three pieces of advice. Each is a step forward to where I know you want to be. Each will help create you as a person — not a copy of someone else, but the real you that I know is inside. There is no rush to do these steps, and you can do them in any order you choose, but each small step you make will take you closer to the person you long to be.
First of all, and most important of all, get to know yourself first. You won’t be able to move forward until you have a deeper understanding of yourself. For that, you need to be brave, and make a least one decision that makes you feel a little bit sick. Until you’ve tried, you will always be in the same place as you are now. Just that one decision can lead to open doors.
Secondly, don’t look at what others are doing and wish you were able to be in life where they are. They may look confident, and act like they have what they want, but they genuinely have their own problems, misgivings and regrets like everyone else. But, just like you keep things to yourself, so they keep things closed away, too. No-one likes to show off their weaknesses, or low points. If they put you down, then they see something that they wished they had. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Which leads me to the last piece of advice…
… concentrate on your strengths, not your weaknesses. You have strengths for a reason. These strengths are what will give you your own purpose. They will help give you the individuality that you’re looking for. Concentrate on these and you won’t go far wrong.
Once you’ve done that, I can guarantee that the world won’t look so confusing to you, as it does now. You’ll be able to realise that you aren’t so distant from the people around you, and you’ll be able to connect the dots so much easier.
There will always be those people who will try to stop you from progressing, to stop you being the wonderful individual you are. But that’s their problem. Just concentrate on being you.
From You in the future, who has made the journey.
This article was originally posted on Medium.
Charlotte Clark 