Have you ever looked at an old picture and been instantly taken back to that moment? Remembering exactly what you were doing, what you were thinking, and how you saw the world? I think we all have certain triggers that remind us of a significant time or an important event in our lives. So, when we think about the past, these are the times that stand out.

I took a moment to think about the person I was in that photograph. I remembered everything about it. I thought to myself, I wish I knew what I know now. But then I thought further. I thought about how different my life would be today if I did know the things that I know now. I realized that I wouldn't be the person I am today if I hadn't been the person I was then.

I wanted to find out what other people would tell themselves five years ago. So I asked a handful of high school seniors, college students, and even a few graduates to think about it and tell me what they would say:

"To try harder in high school, spend more time with family, don't date until you're older, get a job and actually save your money. That the little things that are stressing you out now aren't going to matter in five years, so you should be nothing but happy. That you should enjoy life because you will never get to relive the memories."

"That these next five years are going to be some of the greatest. Continue what you're doing the way you're doing it because it will make you stronger in the end. Always learn from your mistakes while your young."

"I'd probably tell her to quit messing around in high school and truly find and focus on something you love for your future. It's great to have such a good time, but looking back I wish I would have put more of an effort into finding something I really love for a career path. Also, to take risks and adventures because you don't realize how short life can be, and you never know what you will find along the way in those adventures."

"It's all going to be alright."

"To be more open and not care so much what people think of you. Just do what makes you happy!"

"That at the end of every day you only have yourself. Don't let anybody ever affect you because they aren't going to be in your life. And that only my opinions and how I feel about myself matter."

"That you don't need to have it all figured out, things will come as they should and fall into place. Also, being a teenager in high school is hard, but its only one phase of your life so enjoy it because it won't last. Really take time to relish every moment with all the people in them because they're so fleeting. And also to be fully you and authentic because there is no use in investing in people who don't see and appreciate you as you are!"

1. "You will never make everyone happy."

2. If you have a couple of people you can really trust, consider yourself lucky.

3. College is important, take it seriously."

"I would tell myself not to be shy or self-conscious about everything I do and what people think of me."

"I would tell myself that grades do matter in high school because now I'm kicking myself in the ass about college."

"I don't have a definitive answer to that question, actually. I'd have to do some serious reflection on my life because for the most part, I don't regret anything now that I didn't know then. I've learned about myself and grown as an individual so there isn't anything I would necessarily change."

The bottom line is that you can't go back in time or change anything about your life. But realizing the things that you have changed doesn't mean that you should regret your past. Being able to recognize the things that made you the person you are today shows that you have learned from your experiences. So what is the point of thinking about what you would say to your former self? It is to recognize the things that make each of us who we are.

We need to take the time to remind ourselves that our struggles have made us stronger. To recognize that everything happens for a reason and that even if we have had to face some hardships and personal battles, that these are the things that have made us stronger, have made us develop an understanding of how the world works, and have made us ourselves.