Recently I had the opportunity to give my daughter some of my wisdom in hopes that it would help her navigate her life better. It got me thinking about an exercise I had done a few years go that had me answer the following question:
“If you could give your younger self some advice what would it be?”
So I decided to take a couple minutes and do this again.
And this is what I came up with…
- You are enough. Remember you are a human being not a human doing.
- Never Settle!
- Challenging times will make you grow.
- Don’t let anyone ever dull your sparkle.
- Have compassion for yourself, making mistakes shows you are trying.
- Everything will be OK. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
- Never lose your enthusiasm for life.
- Try new things.
- Be kind to everyone. You never know who might really need it.
- Trust your gut!
- You are loved!
I love this quick exercise because it’s like a love note to myself whenever I might be feeling shades of self-doubt or need encouragement. I can look at this list and remind myself it will all be okay.
So now it’s your turn.
I invite you to take 5 minutes to do this simple exercise.
All you need is a pen and paper, or your computer. I want you to think about the mini-you. Write a note to that awesome kid. What would you tell him or her?
What advice would you give her/him to get through a tough time? Or perhaps some encouragement to take a leap of faith.
I hope you find this exercise helpful when you are in need of a little nurturing advice. Who better from then the person who knows you best?