Notes To My Younger Self

I promised you some notes to my younger self last week, as last weekend I turned yet another year older. These thoughts came to me in bed literally mid week in the middle of the night and I hurriedly jotted them down in my phone, but I think they make a lot of sense. I had a few other things I wanted to share with you and thought these will never get old… as us!

So here’s the thing on age. You’re only as old as you TELL yourself. Granted… we have to be reasonable here. I know I’m not 16 (remember I have a 16 year old daughter!), but I certainly feel way younger than my age. Is it mindset? Is it how I have taken care of myself and how I continue to do so? Is it who I surround myself with and the company I keep? I think all of those things have a role in how old we feel, look and act.

So without further adieu, here are my notes to my younger self, I wrote to myself as I approached this new lovely year of my life.

1. Start taking care of yourself young. Think about what you’re putting into it. How much and how often. I’m talking smoking.. drinking.. (ya I know we do Fuzzy Fridays! HA!) Take care of your skin EARLY. You can do preventative care, but reversing the damage is way harder. Eat healthier foods and try to be as physically fit as possible.

2. Appreciate those in your life. Say I love you. Tell people how you feel about them. You don’t know how long you’ll have with them. And telling people how much they mean to you will not only make you feel good inside, but you’ll give them love in a way they wouldn’t have expected.

3. There’s no such thing as a perfect person. Get that straight. Let that shit go. If you don’t it will eat away at you and mess with your head. We can strive and try all we want. We’re perfectly imperfect. Exactly how we’re supposed to be.

4. Do your best. In everything you’re trying to do. Don’t do shit half assed. The result you’ll get is a half Asa result. Whatever you’re trying to accomplish or achieve or build or create, try to do your best. It applies in every aspect of your life. It works and you’ll see the difference.

5. Let shit go. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Don’t worry about petty things. Rise above… The cream always does!

6. Have no regrets. This is no a dress rehearsal. Take opportunities. Take chances. Be adventuresome. At the end of the day think about what you were able to do and the joy and satisfaction that it brought to you.

7. You have only one reputation. What others say or think of you doesn’t matter… But it does. Thank you to my parents for teaching me this big one. As much as we really don’t care what people think, our reputation says a lot about who we are. When people think of you, do you want to them to think you’re kind, sharp, sweet, a bad ass, you made them always feel good? Or do you want them to think you’re a mean snob? A bitch? You can take care of your own needs, get shit done, be a boss babe, hsve an incredible life, and keep your reputation in line. I always remember Maya Angelo.. People will remember how you made them feel. That totally goes hand in hand with this and 2 3.

8. Who care what others think. Seriously. Refer back to 4 and 5. Of course there’s a happy medium and you don’t want to risk your reputation. Butvat the end of the day, it’s your life. You and only you can take care of you. Refer back to 5.

9. Love yourself. Yup. That means accept your quirkiness, your crooked fingers, your freckled skin, your curves, and see that are all that and then some. This right here. It’s a biggie. Once you get this, then your confidence really sets in from your core and that’s when the word unstoppable comes into play.

10. You can pick your friends but you can’t pick your family. Be smart in your selection of friends. Most people who will support you in life with your successes and endeavors will not be your closest people. This was such a hard lesson to learn. But it’s true and I’ve seen it time and time again with so many that I’ve begun to teach it in my Empowerment business. Once you get that, let it go. Move on. They’re all watching from the sidelines, believe me!!

11. Envy and jealousy will always be around. Others will be envious and jealous of good things and successes in your life. Let them go. The more energy you give to negativity, the more its feuled. That’s their problem that they have with themselves. Rise above.

12. When you sense those negative and almost evil thoughts and feelings towards you, turn your back to it. Don’t face it. Don’t be head on to it. Literally turn your back to it as if you’re turning your back to the devil who is trying to work on you. Once you do that, you have a much easier time letting it go to ignore it.

13. Say please and thank you. Smile as much as you can. It’s simple easy social graces that costs nothing and feels great to you others around you.

14. BELIEVE in yourself. There is NOTHING you can’t do. Did I know way back when I’d be doing what I’m doing now? HECK no. But I am doing this exact thing because I knew I could. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew I’d learn and figure it out and make it happen. Don’t let your fears, self talk, and naysayers affect you.

15. Remember this is your life. No one else’s. Yours. Have fun. Feel the music. Sing. Dance. Laugh a lot. Love hard.