Dear Younger Self,
"What would you tell your younger self, if you had a chance to? " This is my imaginary letter written to the younger me, by the future me.
Dear younger self,
I seriously hope, you are happy back in time, because there isn’t much scope and hope for happiness, down the road. Hence I would advice you to seize every minuscule opportunity, that comes either your way or those that don’t even show up on your way, to make your future self, reflect upon those moments with reminiscence. Be it a small desire or a mammoth determination for something, that you truly want to be a part of your life. Because, a moment passed in life is a precious water drop lost in the ocean.
There are many things, I am grateful, for standing now in the position, I am currently in. Since this is gonna be a long letter, it would be unfair to just point out the areas that you were weak in. Because you were strong enough in so many things unknowingly. If not for those traits, I would have ended up in a poor and miserable state. Not that I am overtly happy, but still it would have been worser.
I think you were an excellent planner and organizer of things, be it chalking out the plan to cover the academic topics before an exam well in advance or it be preparing an itinerary for a gang trip. You developed your own way of learning. I am so glad, that you put so much self reliance upon yourself at that tender age. You boycotted classes, keeping your firm belief in “classes will dull your bright minds”, but you wanna know the truth, the classes were too early and you were too lazy and the climate was too cozy. And the library looked like a convenient option. That’s how you ended up there and found some treasures for the rest of your life - the art of reading books, people and you also earned your best friend, in those benches.
You were always a hard worker, a bit lazy though. Yes, you were always a box of paradoxes. But truth be told, I regret, missing some important academic classes in college, for they would have further cemented my position, now as a teacher and not a hypocrite.
You were almost a big zero in extra curricular activities from college. You should have played more games physically. I wish you had slightly improved in that field back then, but never mind, I am making up for it now.
But there wasn't really any competition for you in traveling or organizing trips. And I am so glad that I have so much to reflect upon the memories you have enriched me with in various places and with different people, all through out the different phases of life.
I believe you had a perfect balance. You knew when to study and when to sulk and when to enjoy. It was one of your essential qualities that has taken you up here.
You were always blessed with good friends all around, in every stage of your life. It was almost like, they adapted themselves perfectly to your sensitive side. I cannot express, how much a blessing it was and it is still now.
You were always kinda silent to the outer world. But you also had that completely extroverted face, with your comfortable people. I want you to know there’s nothing wrong in being an introvert and you don’t really have to change upon persistent insistence from others to change. You should be what you are comfortable with. It was almost like your sixth sense knew better about your compatibility and whom to contact and whom to avoid, for your growth. I think, you have developed that gift, very well and exquisitely. But at the same time, I also don’t want you to overthink and cause your head to explode. Maybe you should start some mind calming exercises like meditation.
About the talents, I think, you started writing your blog in 2007 and almost nobody knew the existence of it, surrounding your vicinity. Only now, you have had the courage to show them to the public. I want you to know, what others think of your writings is none of your business. Its their opinion, they are entitled to. You always thought that you were a different kind but you were shy and so you chose to hide them beneath your skin. I say, you should be bold enough to proclaim you disobedience to normalcy, whenever required. You were so successful in hiding your talents for almost a decade. I want you to build up your self confidence and break up from your inferiority complex that’s tying you down.
You probably didn't want the people to see through you. But the right people will always see through and seek you, which has to be the ultimate purpose. So I think, there’s no point in building walls around you or wearing a mask, all the time, to conceal your true self. You are only isolating yourself and becoming unreachable by doing so.
Yes, you struggled to understand yourself. You tried to fit under various classifications and chose the zodiac as the best fit. You thought being a capricorn can describe your mood swings, the lonely and persistently feeling of being out of place. So you tried to move in with only the compatible signs. But you know, you won’t know where you will find someone, completely in unlikely places or signs. So, I want you to be open to all. Don’t restrict your possibilities.
And, don’t be desperately waiting for the one. The one will knock your doors or crumble your walls and surprise you, at the most unexpected moment. So don’t keep looking and drown with your expectations. Instead, just keep walking. Everything happens for a reason. There’s a plan and a design to everything, that is invisible to you. You are a part of the plan. You are not the plan.
I think, you were raised traditionally and in a very conservative manner. Its our brought up, that ultimately decides our joyful years of our lives. Ten years have been a very good time to understand and introspect about love. You were so naive and too immature. But I don’t think anything (even reading books) can change our outlook about it. It has to be experienced by planting a seed of love into ours. Nothing can change. Pain, hurt, desperation, loneliness, vulnerability, break-ups, isolation, one sided tales, mutual inevitable feelings all add up to our understanding and realization. So I would actually advise you to go through all the above said periods to liberate yourself and truly seek someone. I want you to fall in love with someone and let love take its natural course. I don't want you to fall for some sentiments, your ancestors cultivated in the minds of their children. Don’t be a sentimental fool, you fool. Be an open rebel against the norm.
To be a rebel, you need to do only one thing. Read more books. You started reading very late in your life. I wish you had started this habit, a lot earlier. So I want you to read profoundly about whatever interests you. And I believe, writing is an extension of reading. So I think, it would just help itself on its own.
This could be the reason, why I consider myself a late bloomer. I finally seem to be getting comfortable with me, quite late though. Nevertheless, I have arrived.
So never doubt your worth or capacity. You will reach where you are meant to, exactly. You just have to start believe in yourself and never stop it.
Have the courage to say “NO”, when you are not interested. This is a very important lesson, you need to know, my younger self. Stop pleasing people, for their whims and fancies. Sometimes, the truth has to be told, whatever maybe the cost. Don’t try to blend in. Stand out.
Tell people what you feel about them, before its too late. Stop playing games with the hearts. Don’t hide your feelings and try to seek irrelevant meanings.
Don’t crave for success. Settle for mere contentment.
Don’t pin your hopes on fate. Choose. Take a chance.
Above all, follow your heart, always. Trust me, it knows the path very well.Yours lovingly
Future self.
P.S -
Reply back from my younger self to me.
Dude,
Are you seriously crazy?
Advices huh?
What made you think I would read this long list of advices patiently!
Anyway I took one of your advice seriously. I say NO to you. 😌
Have a great time ahead for my mistakes.
😂
Yours obediently.
MercyMe - Dear Younger Me (Official Lyric Video) - YouTube
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