What a beautiful question by IndiaUnited this week. Lately, there’s a trend in social media where people are posting their AI-generated pictures with their younger selves. It’s sweet, isn’t it? Seeing people revisiting their childhood
Source: Chatgpt generated
Well, if I could actually sit down with my younger self, the first thing I’d do is just hug her, smile, and tell her, “You did alright, kid.” I won’t rush to give her advice or fix anything. I’d probably start with “Take a deep breath. You don’t need to have it all figured out right now.”
Because that’s exactly what I wish someone had told me that it’s okay to not know. It’s okay to stumble, to fail a few times before finding your way. Everyone has their own routes. The longer route doesn’t mean you failed; it often ends up teaching you the most. Things you thought were breaking you were actually shaping you into someone you’ll one day be proud of.
I’d tell her to stop shrinking yourself to make others comfortable. To laugh louder. To take up space without guilt. I’d tell her that saying “no” doesn’t make her difficult; it makes her honest. Not everyone will stay, but that’s alright. The right ones will stay.
I’d tell her that sometimes what you think is best for you isn’t. That God always has a better plan, even when it feels like the opposite. You’ll question it, cry over it, maybe even fight it, but one day you’ll look back and say, “Okay, now I see why.” Trust the process. What’s meant for you will find its way, even if it takes time.
And yes, heartbreak will hurt kid, they are meant to. Doesn’t mean you won’t give someone a chance. It’ll make you think it’s the end of everything. But it won’t be. You’ll survive it. You’ll rebuild. Softer, wiser, and somehow more you. Pain is just a lesson to be more of yourself.
In the end, I’ll just thank her for being brave, for dreaming even when things didn’t make sense, for showing up when it would’ve been easier to give up. Trust the plan, even when it feels messy. The world gets kinder. And so do you. Because without her, there wouldn’t be me.
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