You are me, several years ago, and there are things I want you to know. You’ll miss out on many things because of shyness and fear. You’ll miss out on wonderful opportunities because you’ll overthink things. You’ll miss out on things you could have easily achieved because you’ll hesitate too much. One day, you’ll realize you should have taken a chance. You’ll come to see that other people’s judgments don’t even exist most of the time—and that you’re the one holding yourself back.
You’ll realize that you have something to say and that it’s worth being heard. You’ll realize that you add value and that you, too, shine. Only then will you finally take a stand and dive right in. You’ll assert yourself and embrace who you are. Your eyes will sparkle, every single day. You’ll finally find your place; you’ll be right where you belong in every aspect of your life, and you’ll thank heaven for it. The only thing you won’t quite realize yet is that heaven doesn’t deserve all the credit: you’ll be largely responsible for it. You’re the one who’ll have broken out of your shell and decided to look up as you move forward. You’ll have plenty to be proud of, believe me.
But I want to tell you one thing. The longer you wait, the further you push that moment away. You won’t be able to turn back the clock. The things you’ll have missed, you won’t be able to get back. Right this very moment, you’re missing out on others. I’d love to lend you my eyes so you could see what I see today. I’d love to go back to where you are now, knowing everything I know today, to get you moving faster. I’d love to save you some time, but that’s impossible. You’ll just have to take my word for it when I tell you that the person you are today is just like the ones you used to envy. You’ll have to believe me when I say it’s more than worth it. You’ll have to take my word for it when I tell you that you won’t believe everything you’re capable of accomplishing. And the best part of it all is that, as I write these words to you, another version of us is probably doing the same thing, looking forward to all the even better things yet to come.
So trust yourself. Believe me. Something beautiful lies ahead. Look up and go for it without hesitation.