This is a letter to my younger self. It’s about all the things that I know now but wishes my younger self had known back then. You can also practise this at home and send us your younger self stories or comment below with some of the things you know now but wished you knew then.

Self-love
You are beautiful; your skin colour and your hair is beautiful. Stop looking at the mirror with dislike because the world around you tells you that you should look a certain way. One day you will wake up and find that what the world values is not necessarily what counts. Your beauty lies within; it doesn’t matter what your body size is at the moment because that can change if you so wish. Don’t even bother with skin colour because that too can be changed, even your hair can be tamed, but your true self, your values, personality, the things that make you who you are, will always remain the same regardless of what you change physically. So start loving and appreciating the inner you because that is what counts the most.

Career goals
I know you see the world as having so many possibilities and it truly does, so keep on dreaming and don’t stop believing that you can do and be anything you want in life. Write those dreams and goals down because if one day you will find yourself confused and not so sure of which career path to take (it happens sometimes) you can look back on what you wrote and be motivated to try some of them. Remember there is no one end goal, only the beginning of something new and interesting, so continue to search and continue to reinvent yourself in whatsoever field you choose because that is what makes life more interesting, and it will keep you constantly on your toes.

Relationship
Not every boy you meet will be the one you settle down with, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still be happy in a relationship and grow from it. Dr Myles Munroe once said in one of his videos (The purpose and power of a woman) ‘Imagine the kind of person you would like your daughter/son to marry, and then look at the person you’re dating and if you wouldn’t approve then it’s time to move on.’ But don’t worry too much about this in the short-term – remember you are still young and still have time to learn and understand what makes for a good relationship for you.

Everything will be OK
Time really does change and heal a lot of things, so if you are worried or facing some difficulties right now, don’t overstress yourself too much because the fact that you are alive and are aware of your problems means there is still time to fix it or work through it. Always remember that you have a destiny and purpose to fulfil and until that has been reached; you should worry less. As Tom Fletcher once said, “Everything will be ok in the end; if it’s not ok it’s not the end.”

Education
Education is very important and will continue to be one of the things you fall back on because it helps you learn and grow mentally. Getting education doesn’t end when you finish school or university, it is something that you will continue because you will realize its importance in your life. I know you don’t like waking up for school every morning especially in winter, and I know how exams and test can feel like such a headache, but always remember that these are the things that you will one day look back on and be glad you did, because as the world is round, so is life sometimes, and you never know when you might need that English writing or comprehension test – who knows, someday you might grow up to be a writer.

Friends
Friends come and go but the ones who truly value your friendship will stick around for a long time. Choose your friends wisely and remember that a friendship works both ways: you need to put in the effort and support your friends just as much as you would like them to love and support you.

Money
Money comes and goes so learn to value it, and also, learn to save. It will not fulfil your every need, but it can help you enjoy the times you have with it if spent wisely. Don’t use money to keep people around because the moment it is gone, so are they.

Spend time with yourself
Spend time learning about yourself and what makes you happy as this builds character and will help you understand yourself better and how you relate to others around you. You are special and you are worth it, always try to be positive and keep your chin up. Love yourself more.

I hope you have liked my letter to my younger self, I broke it down into points that I learnt were valuable to me then and are still valuable now. You can write a proper letter or you can also break it down as I did. I can’t wait to read all your letters and if they are really good it will be published on our site. #BringOutTheWriterWithin

Written by Phoebe Sibomana