Life is an unpredictable journey, filled with ups and downs, twists and turns. Yet, every single experience, triumph, and loss played some role in shaping the person I am today. As I write this, I wish I could go back in time and share some wisdom with my younger self that I have managed to gather in the recent past.  

First, I wish I had prioritized relationships with other people. As a child, I never really realized the importance of building strong relationships. At social gatherings, I always went on my phone instead of interacting with others around me. I never took the initiative to engage in a conversation with someone I wasn’t close with, whether it was my classmates at school or friends of family members. Now I realize that I not only missed out on countless friendships and connections but also the opportunities to network that could have resulted in amazing things. People always have interesting information and perspectives to share, so I’d advise building meaningful relationships with as many people as possible, because you never know what those interactions can lead to. 

I would’ve also asked for help, which is something I had to learn to do the hard way. I have always been very independent; I thought you could do everything alone, all by yourself. This worked well when I faced relatively easy problems. Yet, as life got more challenging with teenage social challenges and more difficult schoolwork, I realized that my old mindset wasn’t going to help. After struggling for quite a while, I finally decided to start reaching out to my teachers, mentors, and family members for help and guidance. I didn’t have the slightest expectation that this would help me in any way. However, after just a few short interactions and meetings, I started to see some positive changes. Eventually, I started to ask for more help and got more comfortable doing so, and I was able to succeed inside and outside of school. I learned then that it was okay not to have the answers for everything, and the only person limiting my success was myself. Some things are not meant to be managed alone, so I’d suggest always asking for help if you are struggling. Don’t feel ashamed for asking because everyone needs some assistance in life! 

To my younger self, remember that you are capable of achieving your dreams, no matter what obstacles you may face. Your journey may be unpredictable and sometimes scary, but with courage and resilience, you will be able to navigate it just fine. The key is to always trust yourself, have confidence, and stay true to what you believe in no matter what. The world is yours to conquer. Go get it!