A Letter to Myself

Dear Me,

I hope that 2017 is kind to you, and I hope that you continue to grow.

I wrote you this letter to make sure that you never forget the things that have helped to make you who you are. Maybe there are things you need to be reminded of.

So as the year draws to a close, here are the 10 things that 2016 taught us:

1. Change is good.

It doesn’t always feel good at first, but change will never fail to make you into a stronger version of yourself. So cut your hair and stop freaking out when your life takes a different path than you had mapped out.

2. God’s plans are greater than yours.

I know that you think you know what you’re doing, but I swear to you that His plans are more fulfilling than anything you could ever want. You’re small… He’s all. End of story.

3. Just because he’s cute doesn’t mean that he’s got a cute heart.

The good qualities don’t always outweigh the bad, and a killer smile doesn’t mean a thing if he can’t make you laugh. You deserve more than a boy who will only ever half-love you.

4. Mom is always right.

Don’t even try to argue with me on this one. I know it. You know it. She obviously knows it. Do me a favor and listen better next time. (See #3.)

5. Learning how to love yourself changes everything.

Highlight this one. Get it tattooed on your arm. Do whatever you have to do to remember this like you remember your own name. Because in caring for yourself, you learn how to hold the people in your life accountable for the way that they treat you.

6. Driving in the snow is more difficult than it looks.

For the love of all things holy, please keep practicing. You’re scaring the both of us.

7. Don’t waste your time being lukewarm.

You will meet countless people that don’t want to feel strongly about anything, and you have to do your best to ignore them. Be passionate. Let your soul be set on fire. It’s better to feel too much than to feel nothing at all.

8. If they don’t make you want to be a better person, they don’t deserve a spot in your life.

The people that we associate ourselves with directly influence who we ultimately become. If that statement scares the living daylights out of you, some changes must need to be made.

9. Trust your intuition.

If it doesn’t feel right, it isn’t. You know yourself better than anyone ever will, so recognise when you need to step away from something or someone that makes you question yourself. Your gut feeling will never lie to you.

10. Everything will be okay.

There are very few things that cannot be fixed by a good night’s sleep, Facetiming your best friend for two hours, or a good cup of coffee. So take a deep breath and get ready for another year of change and growth. Everything will be okay.