If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?

We asked some of the wisest people we know what they would tell their younger selves. Check out their responses below.

Sydney Welsh

If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would be “Don’t let them dim your light. You’re a bright light of energy and ideas, and that’s your superpower. Read more>>

Katie Bonarrigo

I would tell my younger self this: It’s okay to take up space. You are not “too much,” and you never have been. You weren’t put on this planet to be agreeable, easy, or relentlessly positive. You’re allowed to feel the full range of your emotions — the light ones and the heavy ones — without apologizing for any of them. Read more>>

Suzannah Weiss

I’d tell my younger self: You are not your trauma. So often, we confuse our trauma responses with our personalities. We are criticized by our parents, so we become hyper-critical of ourselves and think that’s how we will be forever. Read more>>

Emilie Rimmer

You’ve got this. You can do this. You are enough. I struggle with anxiety, and honestly, it sometimes feels like the older I get, the louder that anxious voice becomes. There are moments when it talks me out of opportunities I know I should take. Read more>>