I know it is has been a while since I’ve posted here, but here I am back again. Things have been crazy as things are shifting in my life and I will share some of those shifts with you all when everything feels a little less chaotic. I was just talking about this with a friend the other day. We image ourselves when we were at a younger age, let’s say like 5 to 10 years ago. It is amazing how we pictured our lives back then and how we have come to our life today. It could have been different than what we imagined. I wish I can sometimes go back to give myself advice now that I have been through things and experienced what I would call life’s struggles.
I was also thinking about this recently because my mom and I just went to the retirement party of my 2nd grade teacher and principal at Emerson Elementary School. I was super lucky to have her as both. Plus she and my mom did a lot of work together when my mom worked in the after school program at Emerson. She was one of the best teachers I had and sometimes there are people out there who shape us to be the person we become as we get older. In fact, after my mom and I spoke at her party on the microphone, Mrs. Hodge (who we were honoring) whispered in my ear how proud she was of me. And to me that meant the world.
So, yes I do sometimes wish I could go back and change things, but there are also times when I am happy how things have turned out because I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing people from the time I was a young child to my adult years. But if I were to give myself any advice, it would be something along the lines of this quote/list I found (courtesy of Sagar Parviz Ali). I would give the same list and advice to some else who is young (or young at heart). And I wholeheartedly agree with what is on this list. What follows after this list is a poem I wrote to my younger self.
Advice to my younger self:
- read more
- write more
- practice public speaking
- value friendships
- memorizing is not learning
- learn to invest
- you are not your job
- know when to leave
- find a mentor
- trust your gut
- solve harder problems
- don’t brag
- don’t pretend
To The Younger Me
I wish that I could say that this life could be clearer,
But you still have many more roads to walk and many
Mountains to climb. You should look into the mirror
To appreciate everything you are becoming. Have plenty
Of smiles, hugs and laughter to give around because you
Never know who might need it on a rainy day. Never let
Anyone tell you to just be beautiful because you have blue
Skies on the inside as well. You have thoughts, but you get
Inside of your head too much as an over thinker. Enjoy
Your youth and happiness because you deserve that above
Everything else in life. Never some bad things or silly boy
Sidetrack you. Nobody ever said that heartbreak and love
Was going to be easy or simple. Some day you are going
To find a guy who you gave your all to, but it just was not
Meant to be. He is going to break you as he is showing
You what that pain would feel like. You never forgot
What that felt like, but never be afraid to walk away
From the table when you feel like it does not serve
You the right way. You may stumble and may sway,
But someone will give you everything you deserve.
Do not stop exploring or watching the world all around
You because you deserve a world with color and sound.
…And lastly, love this life to the fullest because you never
Know when it is going to give you that final push of the lever.
From Me