Hey, dude. It’s me again, attempting to reach back through time to give you the benefit of my experience. It’s sort of like the movie Looper, with Bruce Willis, but more handsome. Oh, wait … that movie doesn’t exist yet! Never mind. Scratch that. Anyways, I know what you’ve been through … because I am you. So, here are some pro tips on how to be you:
Realize that you’re amazing! You are smart, sweet, kind, and loving. You are a fantastic little piece of divinity that has infinite potential. You are literally made of stardust. You are not worthless or unloved. Quit telling yourself that lie! That stuff will eat away at you if you let it. Other people’s failures are not a reflection of you. It’s not your fault.
Don’t be scared. Make a choice and act on it. You can see so much farther than you’re comfortable with. I know. But don’t be paralyzed by it. Don’t let all of the possibilities prevent you from taking action. Not making a choice is, in and of itself, a choice. You can let the world dictate to you or you can dictate to the world. More often than not, I chose the former and wondered why so many bad things kept happening to me. I didn’t realize that the world doesn’t care about me. It doesn’t care about any of us. If we let it, the world will grind us down to gristle and dust. We have to care about each other and ourselves. That’s the only path. So care about yourself. Don’t rely on other people to do it for you. Pick a thing and work for it. Anything. Just don’t let “the world” pick for you. Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is growth. Fall down. Get back up. Keep striving. Always. But you have to choose.
The last piece of advice I’ll give you (because there still needs to be a little mystery) is to be careful about what you value. Stuff isn’t important. It’s immaterial. Remember Ozymandius … none of that stuff lasts. The only thing that holds any value, over time, is the connections that we build with other people. The love and compassion that we share with each other is the only exchange that holds any meaning. There is no depreciation of the spirit and the soul. Don’t be afraid to let others in. Don’t build up walls to keep yourself safe. Trust other people. More importantly, trust yourself. Trust that you can be vulnerable and safe. Trust in your worth. Trust in your judgment. Focus on others more than yourself. You’ll find that life is more fulfilling when it’s share with people that you care about. Never lose sight of that … and remember that I love you.
Dustin, age 43