Dear Insecurity

Dear Me,

I know you won't heed my advice.
I know you want to learn you own lessons.

Make your own mistakes.

Live your own life.

And, by all means, you are welcome to.

But believe me, I've been there.

I've done that.

And I'm sure I'll do it again.

[one]

Heartache is temporary.
But real. 

Oh, so real. 

Feel it to its fullest.

Don't let anyone talk you out of being hurt. Being lost. Being devastated.

But know that it will fade in time.

Sometimes you will wish it faded faster.

Cleaner.

But a part of you will always miss the things you left behind.

The things you forgot to help yourself heal.

And part of you will always hurt because of it.

Each heartache is different.

A snowflake of intricate, sharp and biting pangs.

It will melt in time.

Spring will always follow Winter.

[two]

You are smart and strong and beautiful.

You do not feel this.

You will never feel this.

But wake up some days in the mirror and tell yourself these things.

Maybe some days you will believe it.

Maybe some day you'll be me with more confidence.

More love for yourself.

Try it.

For us.

[three]

Care about something.

It's easy not to..

And I'm honestly not sure how to advise you to do this.

I guess I'm just selfishly hoping you figure this out.

[four]

You Do You.

There's a lot of things I would stop myself from doing as a younger me.

There's a lot of things I would encourage myself to do more.

But the past is all part of me. Of you. Of us.

Hurt yourself.

Hide yourself.

Love the wrong ones.

Take the risky chances.

Learn you own lessons.

Make your own mistakes.

Live your own life.

I'll see you soon.

Letting Go.

(Day 30: React to this term - Letting Go)

Sometimes you hold on to things. Memories. People. Hurt. Love. Fear. Pain. Joy.

Sometimes this can be great. But sometimes.. it can be best to just let it go.

Life Lessons.

(Day 23: Things You've Learned That School Won't Teach You)

Many of life's lessons were, indeed, learned outside the classroom. Some that come to mind at the moment are:

1) Be Nice

People, on the whole, can be frustrating sometimes. They can be especially so if you've been having a long, tiring, exasperating day/week/year. But, I've learned, that in general you should give them the benefit of the doubt and be nice. Always put your best foot forward. You cannot reverse your actions. You cannot rewind time. It is better to leave a pleasant memory than a negative one.

2) Be Patient

As with the last life lesson, this one can be hard. Be patient with others. Be patient with yourself. And be patient, in general, with time.

3) Take Time to Relax

Life can be fast-paced. Life can throw a lot at you. Take time to breathe. Take time to lay down and take a load off. Sometimes reflection helps make more sense of a situation. Or sometimes it just feels nice to get off your feet and lay your head in a soft pillow.

4) Floss

This one seems silly, but damn! Dentist bills can be expensive. 

Lots.

(Day 16: Something Difficult about Your Lot in Life and How You Overcome It)

Turns out I had to look up the phrase "lot in life" to see how it was technically defined. From the answered gleaned on Google, it seemed that it was more of an "acceptance" phrase, a la: I am stuck in this dead-end job. Oh well, I guess it's just my lot in life.

I feel like I don't really have an accurate answer for this. 

Today, my life is almost exactly where I expected and I am in love with it.

This is not to say that life is perfect. However, I feel like even though there are difficulties, both day-to-day and long-term, I don't accept them as simply my "lot in life." I live by the philosophy that life is what you make it. I have the power to change my situation. I have to ability to alter the course of my life. If I am unhappy, I can do something to fix it.

Working towards making yourself better can be hard. There are setbacks. There are days when I am too lazy to do anything. But, little by little, things are looking up.

Breathe.

(Day 8: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.)

I'm not great at advice.  But one thing I have been living by all my life is the simple mantra:

Breathe.  Take life one day at a time.

Life can be tough. Stressful. Worrying. 
Life can throw crazy things at you. Simple joys. Tragic heartbreaks. New challenges. New quandaries.

But the thing I have found that has been true throughout it all is that: Time heals all.

This can be tough advice to follow. The hurt can be excruciating while you're waiting. The challenge can seem to almost break you. But fear not; this too shall pass. 

The future is crazy and unpredictable. I cannot guarantee that, while you're toughing it out, life will not throw you another curve ball. 

But you are strong. 
And tomorrow is another day.