Inspired by a FB post about what you would tell your younger self, I think I would say the following things:
1.) The journey regarding your beliefs are going to change and evolve over time. Some thing will be added, and others will be removed. Be kind and patient with yourself. You didn’t arrived to certain personal truths instantly.
2.) Relationships (of all kinds) are their own adventures/quests: Some are short stories, some are trilogies, and some are anthologies. NONE of them are ever wasted, if lessons are learned and major character development takse place.
3.) Your decisions should be based on YOUR VALUES, not what others think. Everyone will have their opinions, but you make the call. To quote a friend, “People love to have opinions about decisions they don’t have to live with.”
4.) Show up fully. People will be threatened by you, but that is their own insecurities, not yours.
5.) Be thankful and supportive of others as much as you can (with boundaries). You never know who you might have to lean on or turn to for support.
6.) Strive with your best for wholeness, not perfection. Excellence is displayed not just in execution, but endurance.
7.) If you’re still breathing, you still have a chance to make changes.
8.) Your goals and dreams operate on your timeline, not anyone else’s. You are your own competition.
9.) Someone’s rejection of you is not a statement of your self-worth. You are enough.
10.) You are responsible for your own feelings and behaviors—-not anyone else’s.
11.) Constructive criticisms are not complete condemnations of your existence. Take them with a filtering lens of context and relationship.
12.) Be willing to accept new information that challenges deeply held beliefs. More often than not, the introspection helps you to figure out what you value and what is fluff.
13.) Being positive and hopeful doesn’t mean living in a state of denial. You will most likely find what you’re seeking.
14.) Be willing to extend grace to those at a different point of understanding than you. Since you didn’t come to certain realizations about life instantly, be patient with those who have differing views but an openness to reconsider them with new information.
15.) Accept that you’re not going to be liked by everyone. Pursuing peace is not a popularity contest and not always a possibility.
16.) Be strategic about what you engage mentally and emotionally. Not everything requires a response. It is not your job to eradicate ignorance.
17.) Making peace with your past is not a glossing over or events, nor an exercise in nursing resentment. Rather, it is an activity in reminding yourself of the lessons learned, the growth gained, and the hope for the future.
18.) One of the biggest challenges in personal development depends on a willingness to examine the deepest and darkest parts of ourselves. You can only reap the rewards if you did the work, as there are no shortcuts.
19.) Forgiving your parents doesn’t mean denying the damage done or embracing a revisionist rose-colored history when it came to trauma. It does mean that you start to see your parents as humans who exercised their choices based on the options and resources available to them.
20.) Our experiences shape our perspectives and consequently color our ability to respond to others. Keeping that in mind will help you understand others and effectively respond to the heart of discourse.
Musings of a Brainy Former Church Girl with Sarcastic Hipster Tendencies 