I am writing this letter to help you see a path forward, one you don’t see at the moment. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, it is this: Everything you will ever need is within you now. The long-term benefit of this phrase has been proven by numerous people throughout time.
You’ve been subjected to numerous beatings by mom. Today she broke a wooden spoon across your face for telling the truth. You remember what she said, “tell the truth and you won’t get into trouble.” So you did, you set the Christmas mirror on the ground so you could decorate the hallway table. When you stepped back to look at the decorations you stepped on the mirror. You thought, “I should hide it.” You discussed it with your sister. Then you both reasoned that telling the truth about what happened would keep you out of trouble. So, you agreed to tell your mom the truth. She didn’t accept the story, she said we were lying and wanted to know what really happened. First, the spanking with the spoon. Then the hits on the arm and finally the strike across the face. She sent us to bed with no dinner. And she threated us if we told Dad. We were asleep before he got home and he was gone when we woke up. We were grounded for the next three days.
This was not the first or last beating you endured. However, you do learn something in the process. Focusing on doing well in school helped keep you out of harms way. So, you studied and did really well. Straight A’s until your first B in high school. It was ok by then. You found resilience in the face of adversity. You were good at school, so you kept it up. As you got older the beatings were less frequent.
The advice I am about to give lays the foundation for you to really enjoy life. And it all comes from inside of you. Don’t worry about the future. Worrying is as effective as trying to solve the mysteries of the universe by chewing bubble gum. Pay attention to every moment. Find beauty in the smallest of things, a ladybug, a flower in a field, the twinkle of a star. The real troubles in your life will not be anything you worry about. You will get blindsided at 9 pm on a Wednesday night.
Remember to do things that make you nervous. Ask that girl to dance. The worse that can happen is she says no. The best, she says yes. Take chances and sing out loud.
Jealousy is a wasted emotion. It does not serve you. Sometimes you will be ahead, sometimes you will be behind. It’s a long journey and experiencing it is more important than reaching the end. Understand that friends come and go, but there are a precious few that you should hold onto. They will be there when you make your biggest mistakes and not think any different. They will be there when you come out of the storm. The others will fade away.
Think about the questions you will ask yourself at the end of your life, then live them. Be able to say, “I lived, I loved and I mattered.” These three questions will keep you on the righ path and bring you back when you start to stray. Happiness and joy are not out there in the world. They are inside of you right now. You have the freedom to choose your joy, your bliss. Choose it, then follow it. Be passionate, see adventures and share it with someone. You will get old and when you do, you’ll fantasize about your youth. Don’t expect anyone to support you. Look inside and imagine a life worth living. Be of service, it will fulfill you in more ways than you know. And it will answer the questions of did I live, love and matter.
Trust me, everything you will ever need is within you now. | SE