A letter to my younger self

To my younger self,

Don't ever be afraid to be who you are, even if you're not sure who that is yet. There is so much time to decide what you want to do and where you want to go, don't rush into things because you think that you have to, you don't. Don't spend time wishing you were someone else, because who you are is pretty amazing, even if you can't see it. Don't let people tell you what you should and shouldn't like, or how you should dress, and definitely don't pay attention to people who tell you that you're not enough.

There are people out there who won't understand you, who will want to knock you down. Don't let them. It means that they're unhappy with their own life and therefore want to try to ruin yours. Treat everyone kindly, and remember that just because someone doesn't look like they're hurting on the outside, doesn't mean that they aren't hurting on the inside.

Love yourself. Stop comparing yourself to other people and start wanting to be yourself. Don't be afraid to love others. Love hurts you when it's wrong, but you need to pull yourself through the hurt until you find a love which is right. Once you've found the right love, hold onto it. Hold it so tightly that it can never be let go of and find someone that'll hold onto it just as tight as you do.

Being anxious is okay. Having bad days is okay too. Don't feel like you need to be happy all of the time. Even when you're in the darkest place, there will eventually be a light. You just have to find it. Have aspirations and take on challenges. Even if something scares the crap out of you, do it. Do things that are out of your comfort zone.

But most importantly, remember that not everyone is out to get you. You have to let people in. Because you are worthy of being liked and being loved. You just need to believe it yourself.