#youngself

Cute young self you will be missed 😿

I'm so cutie patootie

To my younger self,

I am writing this letter to tell you about what to expect in the next few years. We were forced to grow up kinda fast, having been on our own since 16. Even so, we were suspended in a grace period that comes with teenage-hood. This grace period, where avoiding responsibilities doesn't have an immediate affect on you, has put all the responsibility on me. Current you.

I am still working to correct mistakes that you have made. While I still don't consider myself a full-fledged adult, I am quickly reaching a point in life where I am expected to be self-sufficient, whether I'm ready or not.

With no direct guidance from your parents, it has been easy to lose track of what was instilled in us from a young age: work hard, study hard, and life will be easy. Neglecting this valuable life lesson has caused a lot of unnecessary hurt and anguish. Below are some things that I have had to learn the hard way.

Your youth is ending.

It is absolutely okay to make stupid decisions when you're young. You're learning what the world is like and what society expects from you. Yelling at people that have wronged you or believing that you're fun and quirky because you're mean to those around you is something you can only get away with in your youth.

You're not going to be so lucky to get away with these things later in life. It is almost time to start doing what is expected from you. You're expected to have tough conversations. You're expected to be nice. That's how you build long-lasting relationships. Most importantly, you're expected to own up to your mistakes. And you'll make a lot.

Mistakes are a learning lesson.

I know you are of the belief that you can make no mistakes and any mistakes that you do make are to be ignored and glossed over. This way of thinking is hard to overcome. No one wants to be wrong. There are a ton of people in the world who have still not learned that it's okay to make mistakes. Start changing your way of thinking now. It will help a lot in your relationships later.

It is time to be open about the mistakes you've made.

Life is just a list of tasks.

Gone are the days of frivolous trips to the coast, spending money on your own wants and desires, and sleeping until 12pm on a Tuesday. You've got a laundry list of things to get done. If you fall too far behind, you may end up like Uncle Mike - doped up, alone, and nearly penniless.

Up until this point, you've been able to put off your responsibilities with relatively no consequences. That is going to change really quick and, unfortunately, you're going to learn the hard way a couple of times before you learn any lessons. But! It is important that you learn now before it's too late.

As you progress through your life and become more acquainted with the workings of adult life, you'll see that it is more rewarding to finish what you start. That rewarding feeling will shower you after every task you finish.

I am not talking about tasks like doing laundry, going grocery shopping, or cleaning the bath tub.

Here are a few tasks that going on the "To-Do List of Life":

Sign up for school

Get an A in Math 100, this will help you later

Find a job and stick with it

Find someone you trust to talk to

Buy a decent bed, please

Don't drive, bike instead

Exercise now so it's easier later

Keep plants around you constantly

Stay on that medication, you have no idea how much it helps

Do not mix friends with your work.

By now, you have tried this twice. It has never ended well. Don't make friends at work. Don't bring friends to work.

You'll find opportunities to promote. This will just make it extremely hard for you to fulfill your job duties while keeping the same circle of friends. Make friends outside of work now before shit hits the fan.

In fact, you should probably focus more on school than work.

Making friends doesn't work well in the workplace, especially with where you work. Focus on your schoolwork and focus on making friends at school. The people you meet on campus want more for themselves than just making $15/hr making drinks all day. I am not trying to look down on anyone, it's just that multiple people you have talked to seemed perfectly find with never leaving the cafe. I am happy that they have found their success in life. You have not yet found yours. I haven't found mine yet either.

You are the company you keep. Even at your young age, you have learned this lesson, right? Make friends at school, get acquainted with the school's expectations, then stick with it. You've put me in a bad place education-wise.

Before closing out this message, I just want to say one last thing.

It sounds cliché but it's a very important lesson to learn: be yourself. You have spent too much time trying to fit yourself into places that you don't fit in with. So much so, that you have completely lost yourself in the process. Be yourself now and you will become who you want to be.

With love, respect, and envy,