Many things rush to my mind when I think of what could have played out differently if I had only known at least half of what I know now. But that’s part of the fun of growing and learning, isn’t it? Just for fun, I decided to put together a compilation of things I wish I could have told myself at a young age.

What feels like forever now will feel like an instant later. Any of the pain you face, the heartbreaks, the struggles, the insecurities, most of it will fade.

Showing feeling or remorse does not make you look weak. Just because you’ve learned to cover the scars and the sadness, it doesn’t mean that you should keep yourself from opening up to those that you trust and care about. I’m still working on this to this day.

You did the right thing by resisting what was seen as societal norms for little girls – you accepted the fact that you were a tomboy and liked sports, getting dirty, and had a high pain threshold so when you fell down and got hurt, you got right back up. Atta girl.

There are other people out there that are facing or will face similar situations and hardships. You’re not alone.

You’ll grow into yourself and your confidence. Your shyness is temporary and it won’t always be difficult to stand up and speak. Just give it time.

The people you are close to over the years will shift here and there. Some people will stay; some will ebb and flow out of your life. There’s a rhyme and reason for it all, and sometimes there’s not real explanations. It just happens.

Your true friends don’t care how much money your family has. They want to be your friend because they appreciate your company and your companionship.

You are smart and very able. No matter what teachers or others try to tell you based off of test scores or judging off of irrelevant things, like your sibling’s performance in school.

You have and will always have an insatiable appetite for reading. There is nothing wrong with this and your vocabulary and writing ability will get you through your master’s and through your career one day.

You can be yourself and still be beautiful. There is no definitive definition for beauty. Because you are different from other girls and like to play in the dirt and run around outside, do not like shopping or wearing dresses and skirts, it does not mean that you are not beautiful.

Everybody comes in different shapes and sizes. So there is not one true definition of what is "beautiful." You don't have to limit what you eat to be beautiful, you're beautiful the way you are, thunder thighs and muscular build and all. It'll come in handy when you start running and getting into triathlons anyway.

You should not have to work or do stupid things to impress your friends. Your real friends will stay by your side no matter how goofy you are. You don’t have to wear short skirts and lots of makeup to fit in with the girls.

Do not even get me started with guys. You’ll have a ton of crushes before you realize what love really means. If a guy doesn’t like you, it doesn’t mean that you’re any less of a girl, it means that it wasn’t meant to be and you should be patient. Besides, boys are boys, real men are men.

This goes without saying: Do not let anyone push you around. You are too good for that. This goes for authority figures, friends, family, etc.

Don’t listen to the other kids. Just because you didn’t grow up playing sports, doesn’t mean you can’t be athletic or that you’re going to get fat. You were just as content running around in the fields and in the yard as a kid, one day it’ll pay off and you’ll get most athletic at your high school.

Your experiences as a child, as strange as they may seem now, they will pay off later. You will understand things in a more holistic manner. You will have seen the world in a wider spectrum and through larger lens, so you will be more understanding and less judgmental of others. And more sympathetic to others’ woes in some ways.

Your parents do care about you. They just have a weird way of showing it. They will both mellow out with age. You still won’t be able to fully understand them at times.

When you lose people or animals in your life unexpectedly, it will always hurt. It is a learning and growing process as you learn to deal with loss.

There will be a lot of people who will doubt you and your abilities simply by looking at you. You’ll be able to smile later knowing that you’ve proven them wrong.

You are strong and self-sufficient. Do not let other people take credit for things you’ve accomplished on your own.

Your family is and will always be important. Never take them for granted. They are the one’s who will be there for you through thick and thin, regardless.

You don’t have to do anything that you don’t truly want to. You know yourself best, remember that when you make decisions for yourself.