If my younger self could step into my life now, I wonder what they’d see first. Would they recognize me right away, or would it take a moment to reconcile the person I imagined becoming with the person I actually am? Would they focus on the ways life turned out differently than expected, or would they see how much growth, strength, and wisdom have come from the unexpected?
I think about the dreams I had back then—the ones that felt certain, the ones I held onto as if they were the only possible future. I believed in clear paths, in step-by-step plans that would lead to success, happiness, and fulfillment. I thought I’d have it all figured out by now. I thought I would reach a place where everything made sense, where the doubts faded and the answers came easily. But what I never could have understood back then is that life is never quite that simple.
The truth is, life has taken me places I never could have imagined. Some of those places were beautiful, full of joy and success beyond what I dared to hope for. Others were difficult, marked by loss, change, and moments of uncertainty that I once feared. But each experience—good and bad—has shaped me into the person I am today. The things I thought would matter most have sometimes faded into the background, while the moments I never planned for became the ones that defined me.
I think my younger self would be surprised by how much I’ve had to let go—of expectations, of timelines, of the belief that life should always feel certain. They might not understand at first that letting go isn’t the same as giving up. It’s making space for what’s meant to be. It’s trusting that even when things don’t go according to plan, they can still turn out right.
They might also be proud—proud of the way I’ve learned to navigate life’s uncertainties, proud of the strength I’ve built not just in accomplishments, but in resilience, in adaptability, in knowing when to push forward and when to pause. They would see that I’ve held onto the things that truly matter—my values, my relationships, my desire to keep growing—even as life has reshaped the details.
And maybe, just maybe, they would take comfort in knowing that it’s okay not to have it all figured out. That the person we become isn’t a destination we reach, but an ongoing journey of learning, evolving, and discovering what truly matters.
If my younger self could see me today, I hope they’d understand that life isn’t about following a straight path to a predetermined future. It’s about embracing the twists and turns, finding purpose in the unexpected, and realizing that sometimes, the life we never planned for is the one that fits us best.
