Dear Me,

There are about one thousand things I could write here already, but I’m going to try to stick with what I feel are the most important.

You’ve learned a lot already, and we’re only two months in. You’ve learned about what it means to be a friend, a student, a significant other, and just a human being. Your early twenties are going to be a time of growth, mistakes, and reflection. There are some things, however, I want you to learn and remember.

First, you put your all into things, and this can be a good and a bad thing. It can be good because you work hard and you tend to not take no for an answer whether that be with school, internships, relationships, and the like. It can be bad because you don’t really know when to let go of things. You need to learn when someone or something is just not working out and you need to learn when to walk away. Letting go doesn’t mean you gave up; it just means you can recognize a dead situation.

Second, you think too much. You have a habit of thinking obsessively about everything. Your thought process tends to go in circles and you don’t know how or when to distract yourself. You need to learn the benefits of positive thinking and how to put an unpleasant thing out of your mind. Sometimes distracting yourself is the key to happiness.

Third, don’t let anyone tell you how you’re supposed to feel. Life is hard, and unfortunately, at your age, you’re going to deal with your fair share of emotionally trying situations. There’s going to be people telling you that you shouldn’t be upset about things and that certain things shouldn’t matter so much to you. They’re wrong. Do not listen to them. Emotions serve a cognitive purpose and you need to feel them completely. Learn to embrace them and learn to block out the people telling you they don’t matter.

Fourth, honesty is the key to any and every situation, Whether that be in relationships, friendships, class, or work, telling someone the truth tends to be the correct course of action. If you feel a certain way about something or someone, let them know. It’s hard but it prevents a lot of hurt in the long run.

Fifth, learn to embrace failure. When you fail at something, yes it’s bad at first, but in the long run you should learn that failing opens up a wide variety of opportunities. Failing at something is like being given a clean slate with endless options. Learn to take advantage of them.