The Letter

I want to share with you the letter I was referring to in my last entry.  In some of my most vulnerable moments, I like to pull it out and read it, like a sword drawn from the hilt, ready to fight the black dog.

Although personal to me, I invite you to use it for yourself if you find that you relate to it.  Or perhaps it may inspire you to write your own letter to yourself, maybe to your past self who is having a hard time letting go of something that needs to be let go of. 

This is a letter I wrote to my teenage self.  It's everything I needed to hear back then, but the real beauty of it is that it's everything I need to hear now too.



Dear Me,

I urge you to celebrate your differences.  This world is so much bigger than you realize, filled with so many people - some are kind of like those around you and some have many of the same interests as you. 

I want you to remember that everyone is flawed in some way or another.  Try not to go finding these flaws, rather choose to focus on the good qualities.  Everyone has those too. 

Trust your gut.  Have faith in yourself.  Sometimes it will seems hard because people won't always validate or acknowledge you, but that's no reason to give up on yourself. 

Try to understand others by putting yourself in their shoes. 

I guarantee you that there's nothing wrong with you. 

Try not to take anything personal. 

Embrace your introversion.  The world needs introverts like you.  You have a different skillset than your more outgoing, vocal counterparts. 

Understand that there is still so much to discover and know that it's okay not to have all the answers yet.  Just be open to learning and discovery - be open to the journey. 

Any pain that you may feel is not meaningless.  It will keep you grounded, humble and strong.  Getting through this pain will prime you for relating to and helping others get through their pain.

Love yourself unconditionally.  It's okay to love yourself.  Love and respect who you are - even if you feel like you're not sure who you are, because regardless, you deserve love. 

You need to take care of yourself before you are able to best help others. 

Know that the people around you, who you're growing up with - they don't represent everyone whom you'll ever meet.  Love them and invest in the few people who are there for you.  They might not always be there for you, but enjoy the time you have together. 

You can always be there for yourself - lift yourself up.  God will always be there too.  Keep that relationship strong.



When along for ride in this life, sometimes we just have to steer ourselves in the right direction. 

Sometimes we have to close old chapters before we can write new ones.