Wisdom comes with each existing day, whether we recognize it or not. I have learned that in life, there will always be challenging situations. Sometimes, we will struggle with and resent those situations; wishing that they wouldn’t have happened to us. In that moment, we won’t see the meaning of the challenge. Yet, as I have found many times, when we overcome the challenge, we will understand the meaning of living through that experience.
I learned this lesson during my teenage years. As many of you know, being a teenager comes with overwhelming changes. For me, I lost friends, struggled with grades, and often fought with my parents. I felt alone and frequently could not find a way to make myself feel better and deal with my emotions. Expressing myself was difficult, so talking to people about what was happening inside wasn’t easy.
A while into these struggles, I began to realize that music was my escape. By no means am I a musician, instead, I used music to interpret what I was going through. At that time, one of my favorite activities was finding songs with lyrics that I could relate to. It made me feel good to sing those words, and I felt like someone out there understood my state of mind. I made loads of CDs and playlists with songs that reflected my mood and feelings. To this day, I still have those CDs and I appreciate remembering how they helped me; I haven’t forgotten how much I needed that music to get through those times.
There is a country song that often makes me reflect on growing up and the advice that, if given the chance, I would give to my teenage self. (Look at comment). Today, I have decided to write my teenage self a letter:
Dear Me,
I know that you are struggling right now, and I want you to know that is okay. Things will get better; you just need to keep fighting. You are not alone during this struggle, there are people around you who can help and will be there for you. Please know that it is okay to cry and feel sad about the things that you are going through. Don’t be afraid to sing the songs that make you feel good and write the words you need to say. Keep on going because you are going to do wonderful things. You are going to travel the world and make a difference in others’ lives. People will one day look to you for advice on dealing with family issues and ask you for help passing their math class. The value that your life will bring to others will be treasured. Have no fear; these are nowhere near the best years of your life but to get there, you need to keep fighting.
To everyone reading this blog today, I want to pose a question to you; knowing what you know today, how would you help yourself deal with the challenges you faced in the past?
The author, who prefers to remain anonymous, believes in the importance of educating others on mental health awareness and is dedicated to supporting initiatives that positively impact youth. Exercising, reading and traveling are some of the writer’s favorite pastimes.
