Dear younger me,

I know life has had its ups and its downs, but I’m proof that you will be just fine. Yes, our life has been a world wind of emotions, but that’s okay. I know you are probably sitting down with your IPod shuffle listening to the Jonas Brothers or Taylor Swift being sad and thinking about how much your life sucks at the moment. I get it, I really do. At that time in your life, getting a bad grade on a test or quiz seemed like it was the end of the world. Or that referral you got for not getting a test signed by mom and dad, you had a meltdown, and didn’t know how to tell the parents? Well that’s nothing, wait till you get to your freshman year of college and have to figure out how to tell them that you want to transfer schools to be closer to home.

There is one piece of advice that I need to tell you. Stop saying “I can’t” because in all reality you can, you just might not know how to properly do it. The one thing that holds you back in life is that word “can’t”. Yes, I know you are used to people telling you that you can’t do this or that. But you want to know what? Don’t listen to them, you can do anything that you put your mind to. You know all those people who said that you couldn't be a fan of this or that because of your age? Well guess what, they don't run your life, you do. Go like what you want and don't let people's comments affect you. Don't let all those people who said you weren't smart enough to do what you want to do affect you, cause guess what? You're doing it anyway. So stop saying "I can't" to all the things you want to do, but you don't think people will approve of. Say "I can" and try it, even if you fail, at least you will know that you tried

I know this might be shocking, but guess what, it’s okay to break the rules every now and again. Now I'm not saying go breaking laws, just loosen up a little. You do not always have to be that perfect innocent person that everyone expects you to be. It’s okay to not be the innocent one all the time. Yes, it seems like the best thing to be at the time, but it’s not, being innocent isn't always the good thing. It sometimes makes you seem like you are stupid, which you’re not, you are really smart, but you just don't know about everything that all your peers know about.

It’s okay if not everyone like you. It might be hard knowing that there are people out in the world who might not like you. But that’s just how the world works. Don’t beat yourself up to much about this. I know you want everyone to see the best you, but if they can’t find all the great things about you, they aren’t worth your time. It sucks knowing that someone might not like you because of your beliefs or your hobbies, or whatever it is they chose to see as a negative thing about you, but that’s alright. You have plenty of people in your life that love you for you, and that’s what is important, to surround yourself with people who love you and not those who chose not to like you.

It’s okay to not be friends with someone anymore. As people get older, they all mature at different times, which is perfectly fine. But what isn’t okay is staying friends with those people who are negative influence in your life, or are harmful to you. You are growing up and part of growing up is learning how to tell what is good for YOU and what isn’t. It’s only you that can make the choice of who you want to be an impact in your life. There might be people who you were close with at one time, but friendships can, and will change. If those friendship change to the point where they are hurting you more than they are helping you, then you need to let them go. It’s going to suck when you come to realize that those who are closest to you can be the one that hurt you the most. I can tell you right now, you will be genuinely hurt for a long time, and probably very mad. But with time you will realize that maybe it’s a good thing that those friendships fizzled out. In the long run you and those people will be better off without having the negative impact that your friendship is having on each other. Just know that if you feel like ending a friendship will be more beneficial for yourself, then do it, don’t drawl it out, rip it off like a band aid and it will hurt less if you do it that way.

Don’t be afraid to voice your own opinions. We live in a world that cares too much about being PC all the time. Don’t think about that. I know you are the type of person who genuinely does not what to upset or hurt anyone, but you are hurting yourself by not voicing what is deep in your heart and what you truly care about. Who cares if it’s something that not all your friends care about? Does it make you happy? Then go for it! Is it something you are passionate about? The state those facts. Do you truly feel that someone else in the world could benefit from your opinions? Then voice them! Don’t be afraid to voice them, you were given your voice for a reason, so use it.

Lastly, love yourself. Society has a stigma against truly loving yourself. But loving yourself is so important. If you cannot love yourself, then you cannot truly love someone else. Do what makes you happy. Wear what makes you happy. Don’t listen to what society has set as the “standards for beauty”, you are a beautiful woman, inside and out. Just because you are not what society has deemed as beautiful, doesn’t make you ugly. You are far from that. You are beautiful. There will be days where you feel like you are not, but don’t let that be shown. It’s okay to have those moments where you feel like the ugliest person in the room, everyone has them, but be bigger than the stigma. Be the one who stands up to the stigma. Beauty comes in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Beauty is more than just superficial looks. It’s the attitude you have towards yourself, your friends, your peers, and the world around you. Being the best self you can, is what real beauty is. You must show that beauty that is deep within you. You personality shines brighter that the perfect white, straight teeth of that model you wished you looked like. Ignore what society says, it’s okay to love yourself younger me, I give you permission.