Dear high school self,
Please get rid of the unrealistic expectations you have already started to drown yourself in. It is not necessary for you to master the art of fitting in. There is no need to hide in your shell or put up a front that you have it all together, this is not the root of meaningful friendships. In fact, in just a few years everything around you will go through a season of change and processing. There is no need to keep your stress levels at an ultimate high over one math test, because a year from now you will not remember your score. Keep putting in the effort but do not toss and turn for hours on end over the drama and stress of tests and sports.
The pressure you have laid on yourself to please teachers, coaches and yourself is far from necessary. Actually, these were never necessary in the first place. Take the negative things people say to you with a grain of salt, rather than letting them repeat in that brain of yours over and over again. Listen to those who genuinely care for you and never take the words they say to you for granted. These are the people you should keep around for a while. Talk to others more, do not be afraid of the opinions that entangle your reputation anymore--you are wasting your time.
Over the course of the next few years, life lessons will be thrown at you left and right. Catch as many as you can. Learn to love others better and do not shut others out. Cherish your friendships, memories, football games, tournaments, and get out of your comfort zone. These memories will matter to you; they will be the days you look back on. You are not going to think about the time spent in class as much as the friends you were with during Friday nights.
Most importantly, tell those you love that you love them. Before you realize it, time starts to speed up. It goes faster than you think. Keep smiling and learning. Stop talking back to your parents, because soon enough you will be miles away. Keep going, things are not always this exhausting but there are days mixed in with all the good and the bad that you will always remember.
There are a few things they do not tell you about college. That whole clique thing that exists in high school, it will disappear. Oh, and you will need a job, a real one that pays real life money. Be prepared for late study nights in college. Prepare to be consuming immense amounts of caffeine. Time management is really, really, difficult. Do not dwell on what is happening now, you have got some of the best years ahead of you. Most importantly, you will be alright.
Do your best, that’s all you could ask of yourself anyways.
Sincerely, Your Future Self
