Dear High School Self,

Boy do I have a lot to tell you and let you in on a few big secrets about life. But, first off and most importantly I am so proud of you and what you have accomplished and worked for. You worked so hard in High School to achieve what you wanted and never let anything get in the way of that. And that is not easy to do, but you put your head down, focused and did just that. No one could stop you from reaching what was yours. And please always be proud of yourself for that, you worked so hard for everything you achieved and you earned it forsure. Never underestimate your achievements and your potential. And most of all don’t ever forget to stop being proud of yourself, that is so incredibly essential.

I know you did your very best and I want to let you know that that was enough and always will be. You are enough and no one can ever take that away from you. You are kind. You are a good person. You are smart. You are beautiful. Your smile lights up the room you are in and people enjoy being around you. But, you still may have felt out of place at times and maybe not part of the crowd. But you know what, you were perfect just the way you were. And you weren’t meant to be part of the crowd, you were meant to stand out. I know confidence was a hard thing for you and you never felt like you were enough or that you found any true friends that saw you for who you were, but I am here to tell you now don’t ever doubt yourself. Have confidence in yourself and what you do and sometimes it may be tough, but don’t ever lose it. No one can shake you and you must believe that too. And as far as those friends go, well that was just a loss for them. They lost the chance of making a truly caring and loyal life-long friend in you, but you know what? That’s okay because there will be other people out there that see that in you and those are the people you want in your life, not the ones that didn’t notice your true self in high school. Stop seeing yourself through the eyes of others and start seeing the greatness that is truly you. Believe in yourself no matter what and surround yourself with the people that do the same.

Love is a huge deal in high school and all the relationships seems so important at the time. But, you know what sorry to say they aren’t. They are fun at the time and you learn a lot from them, but most of them are not forever and not what you are looking for. Not to say you can’t find a nice guy and be with him, but don’t put all your money on him being the right one. You are going to feel like this is what you should focus on, but it’s not. Focus on finding out who you are and doing well in school. And please, please do not lose yourself to a boy. Once they leave, they move on to the next girl and there you are in pieces. And honey it’s hard to pick those pieces up again and make yourself whole once your heart has been broken. You aren’t quite ever the same, so guard your heart and be true to yourself (gosh college me wishes I would've known that in high school). Above all don’t let any boy define who you are or what you believe in. Be you, because that is the only and best self you have. If a boy tries to change you or tell you who you are, end it. Draw that line, because no one that cares about you would do that to you. Remember that. Things are hard to see then, but trust me I’m right about that.

And you may not be the most popular girl in school or the one the guys talk about all the time, but I am here to tell you that is okay and later on you will be thankful that you weren’t. But, right now I know it hurts and it feels like you are let out and that you are unimportant. You feel invisible and like no one cares to even notice you are gone. But, I promise you as hard as this seems, you are the one on the right path. You aren’t invisible and you never have been. The people that don’t see you are just blind and well blindness never really changes…..and thank God for that with those people. I know it is painful now, but once you are out of high school you’ll be happy those people had nothing to do with you. When you look back you will be happy that there are no drunken or stupid stories about you. Those are the people you don’t wanna be and you know that deep down inside. On top of that there are many people that have a lot to say about what they think you should be doing and who they think you should be. Kindly listen to what they have to say, but make your own decisions and do what you think is right. No one has to live with the consequences of those choices but you. You are the one in control of your life, even though sometimes it may not feel like it. You have to make mistakes to learn and grow. So, take into consideration what people have to say and the advice they have to give, but ultimately do what feels right to you and do it with confidence.

I just want you to remember that you are beautiful on the inside and out and sometimes people may not make you feel this way. But, you are. And you have nothing to regret from high school, only lessons learned and memories made. Don’t worry things will get better and you will find your place in this world. It is only 4 years and you have the rest of your life ahead of you. So, try to enjoy as much as you can, and when it’s hard to, keep in mind that there is a whole world in front of you. And it’s waiting for you.

With the deepest love,

Sincerely,

Yourself