There are many times we wish to turn back the hand of time, maybe by a second, a minute, hours, days, or even years but we can’t. All we can do is to learn from these moments, from the mistakes we wish we could amend. Just like the saying goes, “Experience is the best teacher.”
Our younger selves weren’t experienced and knowledgeable, but as we grow older, we gain insight and wisdom along the way. If I could go back in time and give advice to my younger self, there are a few things I would love to share with her.
YOU ARE NOT TOO YOUNG TO START PURSUING YOUR LONGTIME GOAL.
When I was little, I never really started anything. Most of my leisure time was spent on movies, social media, chatting with friends—just anything to pass the time but nothing that added value to my future goals.
I never realized that the little things I did could have a big impact on my life later on. I didn’t spend time contributing to my future goals; I always thought that when I grew older, that would be the right time to start working towards my goals and building a future for myself.
“The earlier the better” is a common phrase, but even when this crossed my mind, I just brushed it off thinking I was too young to start anything. Little did I know that as you grow older, there are more responsibilities and less time.
If I could talk to my younger self, I would let her know how important it is to start early, even if it is little by little. Even if it doesn’t seem to make a difference at the moment, just start working towards the goal because in the long run, it will make a significant difference.
BUILD CONFIDENCE
One thing I lacked when I was young was confidence. I didn’t build my confidence and it has caused me so many opportunities. I couldn’t speak in public or to an audience; I was always so scared of being in the spotlight.
I was always nervous about making mistakes and watching people laugh, make fun of, or gossip about me. I watched as opportunities passed me by because I didn’t have the courage to seize them and let people watch me prove them wrong. People’s judgment subdued any kind of confidence I tried to build, and I let them win.
I wasn’t so aware about of how important building connections would be in the long run. if I had confidence, I would have built many more meaningful connections.
I would say to my younger self, build that confidence, even if it is little by little.
These are just two major things I would tell my younger self, but there are many other lessons I’ve learned along the way. In all, I am grateful to my younger self, she has brought me to where I am today.
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