To whom it may concern,
You may be at a point in your life where you are confused and stressed. Every day you are struggling to get out of bed and face the busy and exhausting day ahead. I tend to find that reading articles such as these could be the best way to cope with that stress. It is comforting to know that there are people out there who feel the same way as you do. Although I am still young, I have found that over the years I have been able to overcome obstacles that at the moment seemed pretty tough to do and I know that you will be able to do the same.
I wish that I had known that every obstacle thrown at you is just an opportunity to become stronger.
I wish I had known that the tough times always follow good people because they know they can handle them.
I wish someone had been there to tell me everything would be okay.
I also wish I could be the one to protect you.
From the friends who will try to corrupt you:
These friends don’t have the right intentions. They won’t be by your side in a time of need. They don’t genuinely care about how you feel or how you are doing. They are “users” and are manipulative. Their selfish intentions will always come first. You will realize that friends are supposed to be the ones you can lean on. These so-called “friends” may be the first to offer you a shot of tequila at a party, but are nowhere to be found at the end of the night to hold your hair back while you’re slumped over the toilet.
From the social media that will try hurt your self-esteem:
The present world we live in has the ability to alter a person’s mental state through pictures. Why have apps like Photoshop and Skinny App even been invented? So many people edit their pictures to make themselves feel better about themselves, but lying about your appearance isn't the way to go. Social media has messed with all of our minds. It has taken away people’s honesty. You are beautiful the way you are. It may not be the easiest thing to do but all that's left for you to do is recognize this. The internet is a dangerous place. Don’t let some pictures of others make you feel any less about yourself.
From the teacher who will try to convince you that “you can’t” achieve your dreams:
This teacher may seem to be destroying your dreams right now by harping on you and giving you a hard time, but later in life you’ll realize that one teacher’s negative opinion will seem harmless. They might tell you that you have to change your goals and dreams. They might make it seem like getting that A in their high school geometry class you are taking right now is a matter of life and death. Whereas it is always important to try your best and take the extra step in order to succeed, don’t sweat it. Other’s opinions don’t have to matter as long as you believe in yourself. You are going to meet many people in life that tell you that you can’t, but the most important ones to listen to are the ones who tell you that you can.
From the coach who will try to tell you to quit:
You don’t suck. You are a great member of your team. Your coach just wants to bring out the best in you and to do so he/she is going to be tough on you. Don’t start to contemplate quitting or being satisfied with the spot on the bench just because your coach told you to. Fight back. Earn that playing time. You are just as good as the athlete next to you if all you do is believe in yourself and put the work in. If you put your mind to it, that coach will end up regretting ever sitting you in the first place. Be that strong-willed and confident individual. Prove to him/her that you are willing to fight for what you want and that you are indeed not a quitter.
From all the building pressure and expectations:
As you will get older, you will realize that with more freedom also comes more responsibilities. You will find yourself faced with decisions to be made that seem “life-changing” and so definitive, but remember that everything will work out and everyone finds their place. Every relative will begin to ask what colleges you’re looking at and teachers will have you start thinking about the majors you want to pursue. Coaches will want you to think about playing for their school and guidance counselors will stress the importance of finding scholarship money. After college, you have to start thinking about where you need to apply for a job and how you’re going to pay your bills. This world we live in creates so much pressure for us to do the right thing and to be certain about what we want to achieve in life. It’s overwhelming. Remember that it’s okay to be uncertain of what you want right away. The last thing you should do is rush and become smothered with too much stress. Everything will fall into place when it’s supposed to.
If I protected you from all these outside forces, you would never be able to experience them on your own. No one would prefer to figure these things out for themselves, but in a way these experiences all help to shape you into the person you are today. Sometimes all someone has to hear is “it’s going to be okay.” Well, I’m here to tell you it will be. Life has this crazy way of surprising us. The most important thing to remember is that no matter how tough, sad, upsetting or unbearable a situation seems, that a few months from now, things will be better.
