A note to the 16-year-old me…
I would travel through time, break down barriers and suffer just so you don’t need to. But life does not happen that way. Your experience will be filled with pain, lots of it, and it will only repeat itself and hit you when you least expect it, especially when you think it can’t get worse. Every learning disability you suspected you had since young will be proven right. Every group gathering you attend will make you seem like the odd one out. Every tantrum you throw out of nowhere will become something you will learn to deal with.
Many will find it hard to like and identify with you. For a long time, you will be lost…sucked into the abyss of the unknown…seeking validation from people…finding love in all the wrong people, places, and ways. You will let people stick a finger in your face and tell you that you are not good enough, and eventually give up on your dream of becoming a professional athlete.
There will be times when you come face to face with darkness, uncertainty, and hopelessness and think of ending it all because it seems like the easy thing to do. You will question why this world is so hard, against you, unpredictable and why others seem to have it easier than you. You will conclude that you have tried your best just that nothing worked.
I’m here to tell you that this world has no victims and we have the power to choose how we want to live our lives. Never allow anyone to dictate your life and what you are truly capable of. This world is a complex place but also perfectly built for people to own their future. Every time you look in the mirror, it is that reflection that decides if you’re good or strong enough to do something extraordinary. Embrace failure and the whole process with open arms because they are so much more valuable than the destination.
You are meant for greatness and you better start believing it now. Work for it, and even bleed for it, as your life depended on it. Many desire the fruits of greatness, but few are willing to labour for them.
Be willing to do everything everyone else is not willing to do and more. Take blows if you must. Stand firm and keep moving forward in your path. Have a clear vision of how you envision your life to be and not what everyone else wants you to be. Be you.
On the day you die, the world will celebrate your life because of how you helped those who were struggling as you were and those who were close to ending it all. You will be a symbol of hope to those around you as you break through ceilings and walls that you have set for yourself.
So, don’t give up. Keep moving forward. Your pain of today will make you stronger to endure the trials of tomorrow.
Love,
Your future self
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