To My Teenage Self,
I only wish I could have been there to guide you in your young years. You are a very strong and stubborn girl. Because of this you will learn many things in a very difficult way. It will also help you take care of yourself if you learn how to use this gift.
First things first… DO NOT think every guy you date might be “the one.” You have so many years ahead of you to find him. You will think many guys are the best, but give it time. Don’t determine how you feel until you have dated someone for 6 months to a year. Those will be few and far between. This will save you many regrets. Your body is precious and should be given to someone who you truly love. You will not know in 2 months time if you truly love someone. ALWAYS Believe what loved ones tell you about the boys you are dating. If more then 3 people tell you the same things please believe them. This will save you so much heartache over the years. Your family and friends will see the things your heart will not. You are strong and sometimes you will let God guide you, but most of the time you think you have it under control. Please let God guide your life sooner and not just some times. Let HIM take over to do the things you cannot. This is when all the pieces will fall in to place for your life. Don’t wait until you are 32 and have a brand new baby with a husband who is an alcoholic and doesn’t care about you as a person. This is what will come for you if you choose to do things “your” way. The sooner you let God be in charge of your life the sooner you will have joy in every part of your life. You will love your child so much, but wouldn’t it be great to experience that love with someone who treats you like the beautiful person you are. Find the man who will love to love you and your baby. It’s a hard road all by yourself.
I want you to follow YOUR dreams and go after them with all your heart. Don’t wait until you are 35 to do what you love. You will always need money, but if you do not love what you do you will be unhappy with your life no matter how much money you make. Follow your passion, if you love what you do the financial freedom will come because of your passion. This choice will bring much joy to your life and help you touch others.
Next, be honest in all that you do. Do not tell people things they want to hear to make them happy. It will help you so much to balance your people pleasing skills at a young age. Trying to please everyone will only make you miserable and cause heartache for the person you tried to make happy. When you please others the truth will always surface about your true feelings, People can handle the truth up front. They will respect you for being honest with them. This concept will help you so much with boyfriends, family, friends and the work world
When you feel like you are fat, you are not. All you have to do to feel better is get out there and start doing a little extra. A 30 minute walk or workout with a friend will give you all the energy you need for the day. You will notice your body feels better, but more importantly your mind will be fresh to see things clearly.
Be confident in all that you do. You are worth it and if you believe you are worthy then everyone else will believe you are worth it.
When you feel sad that doesn’t mean you are to fat, or ugly or not worthy of a good person in your life. These feelings are normal for all girls and if you find a passion and get busy with it your sadness will go away.
Stay strong and know that God doesn’t make mistakes. You are exactly the person you are meant to be. All your life experiences will end up helping others. Don’t EVER wish you had somebody else’s life. Those people have a much more complicated life and you would never want to deal with their issues. You will see that as you get older.
Remember what your mom always told you:
*Girls look stupid drunk
*Never be the girl who falls all over the boy
*The boys will always come for the girl in the background after they step over the girl who falls all over every boy
*Nothing good ever happens after midnight – EVER!
*And the last thing is never judge anyone until you have walked in their shoes
Everybody has a story and is where they need to be in their life. If you judge, God will bring things in to your life to help you understand why that person was the way they were. You will walk in those shoes and it’s not easy. Never talk bad about someone, because someone will talk bad about you in a much worse way. You will reap what you sew so start planting those seeds when you are young. By doing this you are inviting all the good to come in to your life.
Know that you are loved and you are beautiful inside an out.
Signed,
Mandy (your adult self!)
