In 2011 I participated in an end-of-the-year online activity called Reverb 2011.
I would find a daily question waiting in my email inbox, each question tailored to help me reflect on the past year.
All the questions were excellent, but this is one of my favorites…
PROMPT:
Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?
REFLECTION (my answer):
Dear Jessica,
When I think back to what it was like being you at the fresh age of 21 I can’t help but love you and root for you. So much will happen in the coming years and these are a few things I wish I’d known back then:
1. Trust yourself. Trust your intuition as well as your practicality. You are smarter and more capable than you think. You ask excellent questions, have a fantastic point of view, and you know yourself better than you think you do. Continue questioning the “rules” and practice asserting your needs. Trust what feels right to you.
2. Stop apologizing. I know you’ve spent most of your life feeling like you are in the way and like it is not okay for you to take up space. You have worked incredibly hard to shrink + fit-to-size; but trust me, you have every right to take up worlds of space. You are worthy of love and acceptance – without apology.
3. No matter how thin you are, there are some things that just don’t work for your body type. Instead of trying to make things work that don’t – and that goes for more than just fashion – find what works for you and buy it in every color. You’ll not only save tons of time, money, and undue stress, you’ll be spared the humiliation of your butt crack hanging out of your jeans in public.
I love you, Jessica (circa 2011, age 31)
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