Lessons To My Younger Self
The Four Things I Wish I Knew Earlier in Life
You've probably seen this trend going around on Instagram-- people using AI to re-imagine their younger selves and show their "old high school" photos.
But it hit a little different for me.
I don't have many from when I was younger, so when I saw I could remake my high school yearbook photo, I knew I had to give it a try.
And man, I was not disappointed… (my personal favorite is the Justin Timberlake-esque pose 😆)
But in all seriousness, looking back at my childhood self brought back a multitude of memories and lessons I've learned along the way.
It made me reflect on all the things I would tell him if he stood in front of me. And these are the things I would say to him:
Accept the beauty in everything. (external and internal) Learn to open your eyes CONSCIOUSLY because there is beauty in everything: cultures, religions, and backgrounds. Embrace the differences around you, and you will experience the world in all kinds of different ways.
Learn to control your anger; it takes a lifetime to build credibility but a second to lose it. I've always been fiery; at times, it served me well, but there have been more times when it took away from who I truly was. Letting the stress of a restaurant, tenant, or low performer cause an overreaction was unnecessary. Understand your emotions, and from there, you can control them.
Life at the top is not as easy as you think. It's easy to think that being at the top will be "frictionless," and you'll finally be able to "coast." But reality sets in as you progress, and the disease of expansion and constant lust for growth can lead to your downfall. It goes back to accepting the beauty around you. Enjoy the stage you're in because it won't last forever.
And if three lessons weren't enough, here's another for good measure.
Just because you know a lot of people doesn't make them your friends. You only need a couple of friends you can trust. You'll meet thousands of people in your life, but only a few will become part of your inner circle. This isn't to say I don't enjoy others' company and appreciate those interactions, but it's important to note that more friends don't always create more happiness. Use your energy to nurture your close relationships rather than building surface-level connections.
While I was thinking of my younger self, I believe these lessons can apply to all of us in one way or another. But I pose this question to you:
If you ran into your high school self, what advice would you give?
-G aka The Growth Guru
