For something different from my normal blogs, I wrote a letter to my younger self. This letter expands on the points I’d originally made on a thread on Twitter from April 2019 started by Amanda Newton, Head of Community at Xero.
To my younger self, if I could do it all over again, remember the following:
- Trust in your intuition. Your gut is usually right even though your heart might say otherwise.
- If people are mean to you, try your best to brush it off. They are the ones with the problem, not you. You are amazing the way you are.
- Let yourself shine, being smart is okay. Always show you know what you’re doing, it can lead you on a completely different journey to what you imagined.
- Fake it till you make it works when you’re uncertain of a situation. Be confident in yourself and your ability to fit in and make the best of a situation.
- Don’t be afraid to share your story, no two peoples story is the same. You never know when sharing your story could help someone else.
- If you are struggling, talk to someone, don’t bottle it up. Bottling it up will lead to you experiencing negative thought patterns which will cause you
- Find what you’re passionate about, be it a sport, or hobby, and give it your all.
- Failure is a learning opportunity. Embrace it and make notes on what you can improve on in the future.
- Seek out work experience when you first start university in the area you want to work in, it will open doors to endless opportunities.
- Surround yourself with people who will enrich your life, not bring you down. You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with.
- Don’t neglect your mental health, read, journal, listen to music, meditate. Find what works for you and implement it into your daily routine.
And most importantly, stay true to yourself. There is no other “You”.
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Sammie Johannes 