If I could write a letter and share valuable lessons learnt over decades of living, pop it into a time machine for delivery to twelve-year-old me, would my life have turned out differently?
How often have I sighed: if only I could have my life over again...
What advice would I give myself if I could travel back to my childhood self?
That is the question asked for The Silver Bloggers Chronicles #9.
Dear twelve-year-old Lizzie,
Before I start, I want to tell you that I love you, yes, do not ever forget that!
You know that you are blessed to have a loving family who dotes on you, and that you also love them with all your heart, but always remember it's not that way for everyone. So, if someone wants to be nasty to you or tease you, remember that it's not because of anything you've done. They're actually very sad children who cannot understand why you are always happy. Do not let that make you sad or change you in any way; just be yourself at all times, and just avoid them. You can still be kind, but you cannot change them.
You need to learn that it's not your responsibility to make the people you meet happy. I agree that you can try to bring out the best in people, and you will at times succeed. However, you cannot change the way people are. Think I already told you, but I'm repeating it.
You will be accepted for art classes in high school, so grab that opportunity. Do not let the fact that you cannot study it in your mother tongue deter you. You will manage the theory part, and your language skills will improve. Plus, you will be using one more God-given talent instead of wasting it! I know you will revel in learning art techniques from a young age.
I also want you to continue with your piano lessons and to never stop playing!
If you believe in something and are determined to do it, do not let failure stop you; try, and try again, until you succeed. But only if your heart is truly set on it.
You're at the age where you will come across peer pressure - do not be swayed to do anything just to be part of the 'in' crowd. Always remember who your true friends are, and always keep your word. If you do fail, stop beating yourself up, and learn from your mistakes, that's what life is all about after all - we learn lessons all the time.
The most important piece of advice I want to give you is to always follow your dreams, no matter the obstacles, and importantly, remember that it's never too late to start!
Would this letter have had any impact on my future if a time machine that could send messages back in time indeed existed?
It may have, but then I ask myself if I would have listened to such advice or not? I will never know, but I also would not want my life to have been any different; just one small side-step could have changed the course of my life in a big way!
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