"you worry too much, live a little, everything works itself out in the end" to my last year self who was 21, suffering the crippling weight of finding his purpose
@Alvinmichael223 If I may, I'd like to share a bit of knowledge I gained after spending my early 20s in this same quest as yours: you find purpose by taking action and there's no such thing as a single purpose in life because guess what? People change. We change. So do our purposes. Relax, try to do more of what you enjoy and take action towards the things that move you, that inspire you and the purposes will come. Trust me, even though I'm a stranger who doesn't even live in the same country as you (I'm Brazilian). Currently, I'm 30 years old, and I think it is beautiful to finally breathe and release myself from this pressure that capitalism puts on us and make us think that our lives are only worth living if we have a major purpose. The hell with this, our lives are worth living just because we're humans and that's enough. I hope you find many beautiful purposes to move you through this life. ❤
I started thinking about how to begin this letter and immediately wondered, "How do I earn her trust?". Wow. Now I know the version of myself I'm writing to.
So powerful. I’ve been battling with trusting myself! I distrust so I quit easily or start things and don’t finish. I finally asked myself why do you trust you enough to see it through 😢
I am 46. What I would tell my 30 year old self: “Take ownership of who you are and where you want to be. Stay the path and anticipate bumps in the road. Water your healthy relationships abundantly. Be the person you want to be in the future, NOW. Practice the things you want to do in the future, NOW. “ Thank you for this video. It was beautiful.
"Chained by cultures that crowned incompetent sons over any deserving daughters." The whewwwwwwwwwwww!!! I just whewed. As a first gen African whose also a first daughter... this spoke to my soulllll. Thank you for this. I love you for this. Gonna revisit every time I need a reminder.
This is so prevalent in society, im reading a female author book "Im still here - black dignity in a world made for whiteness". Im a black male in 30s still struggling how to live amongst other people. Im volunteering in these spaces and thinking well of myself not realizing how much im unwanted here. It boggles the mind, weakens the heart, and hurts everyone i try to confide in. Where do we go from here.
Please seek Jesus Christ, repent for your sins, and see what everyone is talkiing about. Come to Christ and allow Him to change your life. I know what you're doing seems right and real to you, but the Truth is in Christ Jesus. He saved me from depression of 8 years and now I can tell you with complete honesty- if you truly follow Him- He can do the same for you. These are not my words, but a promise He can make toward you if you give Him your heart! I truly urge you to seek God for yourself and find the Truth! If you continue to see more messages and signs about Jesus, then maybe that's a sign that God wants you to come to Him-just think about it! All love and Truth, I will be praying for you!
I would write to my 26 year old self. I'd tell her, it's not going to turn out the way you hoped and dreamed. It will break your heart, but it won't break you. You are powerful beyond what you can comprehend. Share that boldly.
I would write a letter to my 32 year old self (10 years ago). "Don't chase perfection because perfect doesn't exist and not everything that glitters is gold. Instead invest that extra time and energy into yourself. Things are the happiest in your life than they will be for years and looking for the next best thing while still working for someone else is pointless and will get you nowhere different or happier."
@@ntaolenglebitsa5829 Everyone is different, the older I get, the more l wonder what retirement will look like when that time comes and I'm finding in my life that trying to chase money and climb the corporate ladder has only made me more stressed with less time to build my own business. I left great jobs for more money only to find toxic work environments. Everyone has rough periods at any job but if you find happiness and can survive on your income; in my experience, it's better to build yourself and find ways to make more money on the side through or invest in building your skills to grow where you are. It's true that you can make more money somewhere else but there is no guarantee that happiness is on the other side. If I could rewind time, I would have stayed put and found ways to supplement my income instead of taking risky chances because now I have no retirement, cost of living has increased so the extra money gains is now irrelevant and I feel less fulfilled and uncertain about my future. If I could go back, I'd stay in happiness and invest my time in more education or building income streams on the side.
I am the eldest daughter (50), taking care of a mother with dementia and neices and nephews. This is the time for me to be there for my family. I would write to my eighteen-year-old self and tell her to release fear and live her dreams while she's unencumbered by responsibilities. It would've made giving so much to others easier if I'd filled my cup and sustained my family with the overflow. At this point, I'm torn between the people who need me and what I need for myself, and the balance, if there is one, is not so easy to figure out.
I know you didn't ask, so I'm not trying to impose advice, however I wanted to say this: I'm only 19, but my grandmother lived with us with dementia. Try not to forget who she was. It is really easy when you are faced every day with someone who is losing everything you loved about them little by little (or a lot by a lot), but it does get better. I'm praying for you and wishing you the best. I'm very sorry you are going through this. I see you and it is really hard. I hope that you have help and support through this and if you don't, that you can find some soon. With lots of love and peace on you and your family, Charlotte. :)
@@YesCharlotteHodges Thank you. It is good to be seen. Her care is mostly on me. I live for the good days and yet I wish for a break. I'm glad I can be here for her but it is not easy. The contradiction of loving every minute she's herself and wanting to escape my life is always there. Thank you for your prayers. Anyone who has dealt with this disease knows how vicious it is. I can't imagine how you handled it at such a young age. Blessings.
Calm yourself. Don’t take opinions of others to heart. But most importantly learn to calm down. Don’t overextend yourself and compromise your peace. Thats what I needed the most.
How do I apologise for rejecting myself first? I would say everything you seek is already within, waiting for you to realise that the noise outside of yourself is a distraction. It’s always and will always be you vs you, enjoy the journey, celebrate the small wins and reframe the way you perceive things to be or how others say they should go. You are the foundation of your own standard.
Love from Nigeria. I'm a pharmacist who only dreams of tech and programming. Changing careers now seems like it'll throw my family into chaos because they'd never understand why anyone would want to switch careers. Thing is, pharmacy's not my cup of tea at all and I feel like I die a bit everyday I go to work (unlike the fulfilment I feel working on coding projects). I want to take this step of faith but I'm scared of the domino I'll be tipping. Thing is, I don't want to look back 3 years from today and realize I was too chicken to take a step. As for the version of myself that'll listen, I'll think, either the me just getting into school or the me who lies shivering on his bed this morning wondering why the only thing I'm happy for after 6 years in school is the 'people i met along the way' (and also the relationship i got with God).
I love how my alogrithm found this page and I'm truly grateful it did! I would write this to my 29 year old self before I turned 30. "What happens if you don't give up?" I will be using Uncomfortable Enlargement daily, thank you!
"Just do the damn thing you wanted to do. You don't have to survive everyday anymore, you can actually start to live now. So what is the first thing you want to do while being alive?" To my 23 year old self who dropped out of university and finally got the help that she needed
Writing to 21 year old me. They matter, but not really. People pleasing will only create a world where everything else matters, but you. Your creativity, your thoughts, your feelings, & perception, none of it belongs to you until you outgrow the need to please. Spend time with yourself. Get to know yourself. Take care of yourself… then everything else will start to take care of you.
Dear 22 y/o Astor, You are always making progress towards a better future. It is going to feel like you are not moving forward with your goals and you are gonna find yourself in situations that you promised yourself you would never be in again, but that does not mean nothing has changed. You are not the same scared little kid anymore, waiting for somebody else to give you purpose. Trust in yourself and continue the charge towards your goals because even when you are making small amounts of progress, in the end it is still progress.
Thanks for writing this. Although I was not mean for me it's still resonate with me. Im currently 22 y/o and in the same situation you are describing in this letter so Im glad I could read this now. Good luck on your current journey and may God guide your steps. 🙏
33-34 year old self (Newly 37). Life is going to hurt over the next three years. From the loss of your bonus dad and the old you that no longer resonates. You will have to walk away from friends and come to terms with those who were never your friends. You will cry a lot and it will get lonely. You will also do the work on yourself to understand how and why you got to those places--therapy and self-help books. Applying the practice will be scary but liberating because you will discover the person who has been afraid to show up all this time. You will become more intentional with your time, make new friends, and become more focused and determined towards your goals. One day you'll wake up and realize you are living in your dreams and know you're on the right path because it will disappear. Just remember to keep going. Keep being consistent. Keep showing up. Start over if you must. Just keep going my love.
This hits "Comfortable, Diminishment or Uncomfortable, Enlargement". When you find the words to explain your current state the fog clears. Thank you Sis!
I would tell 18 year old me, just returning back from a 2 month trip to Nigeria, taking care of her toddler sibling as the eldest daughter for most of the trip, that the call she’ll receive from her mum telling her her A-level results weren’t what she needed to go to her first choice university - was just a sign to lean in and let go. I would tell her not to place all her worth into what she could prove to others. I would tell her that she is beautiful and over-compensating for what she felt she didn’t have would lead to her body sending strong warnings to stop and tap in. I’d tell her it would all work out, and I’m proud of her for accepting and surrendering to what was and going with the flow almost 6 years ago, me now cannot thank her enough.
Jesus the actual Christ! Where is the offering box Nneka? What realm were you in when you wrote this? Didn’t realise we munching on thought-provoking truth & deep revelations so early on🙌🏾And this is just chapter 1 of 100? 😳👏🏽💐❤️
I would write a letter to my 15 year old self (15 years ago) who as lost: "Don't hide your greatness in your fears, don't forget to breathe, to inhale the good things and exhale the bad. Don't let any pain take away your joy to bring something beautiful to the world, to the people who really care about you and, specially, to YOURSELF. Don't let the word DON'T be the majority of your decisions and dreams. Run to your goals, run faster than you ever ran and always believe in yourself! That means everything.
I would love to write a letter to 19 year old me. The one without all the knowledge about health conditions, the one who believes they just need to try even harder, the one who cannot imagine why life seems to go easier for others. I would tell them that they are doing absolutely fine, but they really need to take it easy because burnout is a bitch and we are sprinting towards it. I would tell them to trust their heart and gut; that they won't regret doing anything they truly believe in; that sometimes things are hard and that is how it goes. I would show them a polaroid picture from four years in the future and tell them to document their present moment.
I'm 19 and I loved reading this. :) I dream to live and yet I find that I live to not regret my life. "they won't regret doing anything they truly believe in;" was really comforting. Thanks.
Nneka, Please Never Stop Creating. I'm also afraid but watching your creations gives me little bursts of energy. I'm so freaking scared I would be trapped in mediocrity and undervaluation. Yet, I feel trapped in my incompetence and excusing everything for perfection 😢
You got this Betty! one day, one step at a time. i think the only real way to stay trapped in mediocrity and undervaluation is to never try. it's in the trying, the DOING, that we break the loop 🤎make it so small you can't fail. and do it again, and again!
Stop being scared, you got this, just believe in yourself and all your abilities, endeavours and know that you can do it if you put your mind to it, you are way more powerful than you think, you are super resourceful and not as limited as you think you are! Just DO IT!
'Every day you'll have to go to war with your conditioning' This video and this one alone gave me the push i didn't know I needed to shoot the remaining portion of a video idea I have been sitting on for months! First video of yours I've watched and instantly hit the subscribe button!
Thank you for this, Julia. I'm a writer. I decided to write the letter to post on my IG. But by the end, it was just too personal and I found myself in a pool of tears. I wrote to all the versions of myself. I realized I was a child and I didn't deserve the abuse, the betrayal. I felt love and compassion for these children versions of myself. I began the letter with: I would write to my two year old self, that child with dreadlocked hair. I ended the letter with: I would write to them, preparing them for this year. I would tell them "Lord help me."
Oh woman... You gave me goosebumps and made me want to cry with that. Those words are nearly identical to what I tell myself nowadays and it's beautiful to see them reflected like this, into such a beautiful piece of art, made by a beautiful, intelligent, talented woman, inspiring me to do the very same. The letter I would write to my younger self, to me when I was 25, five years ago is this: "Hello darling, First things first, time travel is possible ; your consciousness can travel back and forth and you can probably feel this, hear this and therefore act on it at some point, when the time is right. You are trying so hard to fit into a box, a label, a life that was never meant to encapsulate all that you are. That is alright you are doing this - no one showed you there was another way - but it will only bring you more pain and your light, your shine will never glow brighter and stronger if you don't start listening to your own self. To your heart, to your dreams. Remember who you wanted to be when you were a child, remember the feeling of blissful solitude in nature, of the power in your voice when you sing, of the vibrant self you can feel yourself becoming when you let yourself exist and when you scream your anger to the ocean. No one can tell you who you need to be, who you ought to be, you already are and you have so much more light and power than you know. You don't ever need to beg for friendship, for love, for care, for family, for worth because it is already within you and once you open your broken heart to magic again, you will start to see that I am right. The next few years are going to be very hard, but they will show you who you truly are and they will free you of shackles you weren't consciously aware you were still wearing... So tight, you bled. I love you, even in your darkest moments you are still a bright, beautiful, passionate woman that I am proud to call "me". Be brave, be bold, be courageous, it will be painful but you will come to know what unconditional love means and how existence is so much more than what your mind has been conditioned to think it is. Good luck, it is coming.... Your time is coming." Thank you for this project you are doing, I look forward to the next video and feeling these goosebumps again ❤
I LOVE this series!! Don't stop! I think I would have asked myself - throughout this whole year honestly - why I don't think I deserve success, why I don't think I can have it, and then how to bridge that gap. I would have told her to sleep. I would have told me (currently) to sleep, too. That I am capable of filling my days with the joy I seek. That it's already there. That I have full control over all of my reactions and that I need to take ownership of them in all situations and aspects of my life. What kind of friends do you want to have? And what kind of a friend do you want to be? And most importantly/finally: Why ARE you already capable of success and why DO you deserve it? How are you ALREADY a SUCCESS?
I'm 42, just celebrated my birthday last week and I felt like I did when I turned 30. I felt like I have accomplished anything carreer wise and as a result I can't move the way I would like to. If I were to say something to my 30 year old self is. Take chances, you will fail . Don't let failure stop you from trying with each failure there is a lesson so continue to fail forward. I'm about to go to take my own advice. Thanks for making me do this.
I would tell my 14 y/o self (8 years ago) to stop dwelling on the past. Focus on the present and control what you’re able to control. I would also tell her that she’s beautiful & worthy. All of the trials and tribulations are going preparing you for your future self. Whether or not you understands why something happened or not. Keep striving for greatness babygirl because you are almost there !
as a middle child and oldest daughter... i needed this. its like you put what i've been experiencing these past couple years into the perfect words. un-conditioning and giving myself permission. beautifully done 🤍
thank you for watching, Tiana 🤎 I'm convinced us eldest daughters / middle children need a support group, a yearly all expense paid retreat, somethin. if we don't give ourselves permission no one will. one day at a time, my dear.
@@nnekajas a middle child only daughter i feel this and 100% agree. And as a creative and facilitator myself i also say let’s make these retreats happen !!
Firstly thank you for this, the bold 28 year old me who quit their corporate job to pursue their dream would write to 35 year old me, and remind me of the validity of my dreams, my ability to endure and a reminder to honor the sacrifices I made to get to where I am so don't sabotage yourself, rest but don't stop in the middle.
Dear Nicole( @17) We're turning 21 real soon. And this isn't the life you hoped to live with the freedom you prayed for.(Yes, We're free at last) The family's okay, there's lots of peace. Mostly externally though. Internally, there's a mess I've made. We were doing so well and then all of a sudden we weren't. And I'm struggling to give myself permission to get back up again, get moving. So this year, I need you to focus. When you get to the start of this year, this point in time, I need you to look strictly ahead. Ahead of the race. Not beside you to whomever's running as well, not behind you. Don't even wait for the whistle- just go! And keep going. I need you to hold on to the memories of why We're running in the first place, who We're doing it for. I need you to keep writing. Write. Write. And write some more. I need you to keep the Faith going, don't loose it no matter what. And I need you to keep the Dream alive. Please. It's essential. While you live in this year, love. Love as much as you can. And laugh even more. Do more things that make you laugh. I'll be here if you need any help but I'll let you forge most of this path. You are beautiful, you are brave. You are strong and you will accomplish everything you put your mind to. I love you. God loves you. _Nicole @20
mainstream stuff about selfimprovement are so overrated.The best investment you can make is in yourself. Books are the ultimate learning tool. Unveiling Your Hidden Potential by Bruce Thornwood helped me build discipline and separate my mindset from 90% of other people
As I return to this video once again, I always get a little gem from this. As a 25 year old who feels as though she has a lack of experience, lack of knowledge, but knows that she has the capabilities and the willingness to learn the things that interest her. She wants to make the things that bring her joy, she wants to do the things that bring her adventure, she no longer desires to be low-balled for her worth and talents. To my 18 year old self: Hi honeybee. I know it'll feel tough, but leave that relationship. It's no longer going to serve you. Go to college and experience life, get your education and get that degree. You don't need someone's lack of trust, faith and love to stop you from doing what you want to do. Leave the job that taught you as much as it could until it couldn't anymore. It's not forever. Go try your hand at something new. Think about the things you wanted to start and see what things do. Stop limiting yourself to the people around you and your environment. Just because they clipped their wings or let someone else do it for them doesn't mean you let them do the same to you. If you need to, make a new set that can't be clipped. Love You. ❤
@@nnekaj how do you properly pronounce your name dear friend? I am recording my podcast episode for this week (Daily Magic)RIGHT NOW, and your work fits so perfectly into today's topic. I'd love to talk about it on my pod and link people to your channel. You have a very special, very important voice in this world!
I’m 39 years old and would write a letter to my 21 year old self. Life is not what you thought it would be, but believe in yourself and stay dedicated. Focus on the things you can control and everything else will work itself out. I randomly stumbled on this video after having a rough morning and it just made me feel like crying! This season of life that I am experiencing right now is difficult. Trying to find my place in this world, while making sure I’m present for my wife and daughter, and learning to count my blessings in the process.
I would say Dear me, You worry too much, think too much, doubt yourself too much, expect the most from people too much, put people above yourself too much but at the same time see the best and believe in people even when you know they should leave so from now on out you’ll live the kind of life I call “letting go”. If you put in the effort and whatever and whoever it it doesn’t want to stay then you’re allowed to let the person or whatever it is go without seeing yourself in a bad light because at the end of the day your future self will be proud of work you put in even though it hurt and your past self that has been screaming its never too late to start over will be even more proud that you took the tough route yours sincerely, your past self to your present self and your future self ✨
This would be for many stages of myself: Don't settle for anything. Focus on myself more than putting that energy into others. I am worthy of all those dreams I have in my head if I just stay focused on them.
I was not prepared for this video, as I look out of the window of my job that I have been at for 4 years. I took a new job and they dont even know it yet. At times it feels like betrayal, but they have no loyalty to us. I am often living life to please my spouse and my children. I have not even thought about myself as I love them more than I love myself. Yet, daily tears drop because of me putting myself last. I took a 50K pay cut to this new job as the pay does not matter to me but the experience and the travel that I will gain. My life dream is so close within hands reach and I can no longer put it on the back burner. I want my tears to be tears of happiness no longer the tears of my sacrifice. I needed to see and hear and truly take in this video. Your words are so powerful I have watched and listened to this video over 30x. God brought me hear and I needed it so. Chills. I will start writing today. Thank you so much for this.
Yooooo this was incredibly BEAUTIFUL!!! Stopped me in my tracks. Thank you for sharing your magic🙏🏼 Letter to my younger self: Dear Babygirl, Buckle up… because this is going to be the most challenging year of your life. You will be scared and you will move through that fear. Getting stronger every day. There are so many lessons you just are not learning, Love. So trust that all of the hardship is there to shake you awake. Don’t be scared. Just be aware. Aware of all the lessons that life has been whispering to you all along. Learn to learn the lesson the first time, Babygirl. And trust that by walking through the fire of this year, you will become more of the woman you’ve always dreamed of being.💖
I am much older now. Today I would tell my younger self, focus on loving myself first and foremost. What caught my attention about you was giving myself permission. It struck me like giving myself approval, love. Talking to myself with love. I can remember a younger me cruising along and having so much goodness coming my way. Love conquers all, loving oneself, myself, conquers all doubts, distractions of the world around me. Thank you for inspiring me with your story.
I clicked on this so fast☺WOW! Just WOW! This is is so timely! Writing to my 15 year old self, the beautiful dreamer, I would say...... Thank you for not giving up. I love you! God loves you! It's finally time for you to quit quitting and go for it! Finish what you started! Stop hiding and put yourself out there. It doesn't matter how many others are doing what you like to do, nobody does it like you. Nobody is you. The world needs you! Also, it matters not how many likes you get, how many following you have or whether or not you go viral, do this for you! Even if you only positively touch one life, you have made an impact. Don't focus on who doesn't like you, the only thing that matters is that YOU LOVE YOUR SELF. Don't let the opinions of anyone else, not even your family and loved ones, stop you from making your dreams reality. You are so creative. It's time to use your gifts. Do it for you!! Do it by yourself! You've had it in you all along. Forget fear! Fear isn't real! Be bold! Dream big, it's free! Your imagination is just a preview to your life's coming attractions. Life loves you, love it back! Live out loud! Don't get distracted by what anyone else is doing, you keep doing what you love and focus on your own path. Tap into your inner power and shake the world! PS. Just be yourself. The world will adjust.💞 Love always, Nat🌻
Your video popped up on my feed at work and home (2 different accounts). I knew I wanted/needed to be distraction-free when I watched... My letter to myself (abridged): Listen to your instincts more. Do what you want and do not wait on those that say, "Don't worry about that. We can do that later." This is key to your freedom. Your moment is yours. Timing is relevant to your needs and desires. You will resent all the opportunities that slipped by because you were trying to be nice. More chances will present themselves. But you'll never get back the ones you missed. Live your life for you; the most important person in your universe. Love, the one who loves you most.
You brought me to tears…. This is the reality we struggle with each moment we breathe. In your words, I heard the voice of my Granny reminding me of the power of the mind. God Bless you ❤
I'm 31. To my 25 yr old self - Be confident, hold on to your big dreams and stay positive. Have boundaries and let people be mad at you, let them judge you as long as you're boldly being yourself, be kind but not too nice. At 31 you've not yet made it, but you've accomplished a lot and you're still passionate :) I see that goal and you're almost there, keep going, don't stop. Most of all rest and be kind to yourself❤
Dear 23 year old me, The life you knew shattered into a million and one pieces because the foundation you were raised on was flawed. I know it’s heartbreaking, but you need to keep moving forward and give yourself grace. I promise this new foundation won’t crack.
As someone that had to experience intense grief , loss and change this year, I would tell myself that they have the permission to feel. Just feel every emotion that comes along regardless of how intense it can be. Do not bottle it up, do not keep yourself busy to avoid it, do not pretend it is not there. Let the waves of sadness and happiness come and continue to believe that all will be well.
As I went through this video, tears rolled down my face, my heart began to sink, and my mind simply started wondering... As I turn 26 on the 23rd, my first celebration in a new country without my family. For this year as a 25 year old - I would say, that keeping God by your side ensures everything will work out, and even when you are unsure, take the leap of faith/courage/hope and a risk or two. With a big note in saying, start vision boards as soon as you can, while trusting God with the finer details of how and when, and lastly healing is a journey to learn about yourself, for yourself, and to choose for yourself - it is not on anyone else's timeline, but yours. Keep going - it will all be worth it.
My 12 year old self, first encountering depression, loss of my family. The one who was desperate and angry at EVERYTHING. she deserves this letter that I’m going to write.
currently 22... turning 23 next month and I would tell my 19 year old self (being that I would be of the age to understand and accept) I would say: "Take your time, make every moment last and enjoy every moment. Also, do what you can NOW and not wait for later because later will be different and time will move a lot slower than you would hope, but time will also reveal and heal the things you've lost" That being said, I am currently trusting time while waiting to see what's on the other side. Nneka, Thank you so much for this! and for having the will to get up and share your creativity. As a fellow creative and a new sub, this is truly inspiring and encouraging. 💕
My 26th birthday is coming up in two weeks and I can find all the great things that I’ve learned this year that I could pass on to my younger self, but then again I’m sitting here balling my eyes out still feeling empty on the inside. All I can tell my younger self and congratulate him for is through all the anxiety of trying to put your 100% in your musical journey, your day job and your family, you still showed up to your craft, your work and your relationships. To my future self, you’re getting shit done and fighting through the fear of judgement from others, staying strong and day by day you’re one step closer to fully embracing who you are and watering your self-love. Don’t give up on yourself and on the people who love you.
22 year old Victor needs to learn that standing out is not the same thing as doing well and that he doesn’t have to actively pursue a uniqueness or a persona that sets him apart. He’s chasing that in lieu of nurturing what makes him himself and is losing his creativity to vanity in the process. I’d tell him it’s ok to embrace and act upon his desire for creative expression without immediately becoming some savant. That small steps matter as much as the large ones. He’s not nearly as sceptical as I am now. That’s good. But he’s also not willing to sculpt the man he wants to be from the man he currently is; that has not changed. I’d tell him to focus on what matters. The beauty of his gifts, the love of family and the sheer luck of where he is. 22 was a step into the forest and he won’t leave for a while. It’d be great if he stopped getting lost looking for an escape he knows will only be found by walking the path ahead and not meandering elsewhere. He’ll be fine, just surprised that things didn’t turn out how he thought. But he’ll be fine.
I have a feeling that my current self is the one I’ll be writing to in the future. I’m 18, going into college, and I’m scared I’ll be too much of a mess (organizationally) to make something of myself. I fear I won’t be driven enough, that I’ll ruin opportunities that I get. I’m scared I’ll ruin my life and be too lazy to fix it. Now that I’ve laid my heart out, a message to my 16 year old self: your family will come around. Don’t be afraid to be out at school. You’re doing great, I’m proud of you.
Somehow, these often feel like therapy Nneka, of course there is no replacement but this brings me comfort. I would write to my 20 year old self(9 years ago), preparing to leave college and go to the real world. I would tell her that, you will not have it figured out this year. This year will test you, try you and challenge you, the anxiety will feel crippling for awhile and you will wonder if there is a point to any of it. In the end you will be the one to carry yourself forward, the lessons that you have learnt till this year will keep you stable, your community will ground you, and growth will humble you so what you will have to learn to practice is leaning into the uncertainty and finding it both daunting and exciting.
I feel like I would have been more receptive at 25. I always kind of had an open mind. But I couldn’t really elaborate how I felt at the time. This version of me would have spark her curiosity. I would have said to her….Don’t listen to none of your relatives. Just because they are apart of your bloodline doesn’t mean they care. RUN in the opposite direction. Stop giving people benefit of the doubt. They will ONLY treat you as an extension of themselves. Accept what you already innately know. Stop playing victim. Stop caring so much. You have a strong mind and a good heart. Stop letting the past control you. What you can’t control shouldn’t CONTROL YOU! Question EVERYTHING! Isolation is very healthy. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. POUR INTO YOURSELF. TRUST YOURSELF. YOU ARE A CREATIVE GENIUS! Clarity is on the other side darkness. Notice the red flags within you and others. Outside validation is unimportant. Most of it’s okay to be silent. If people are not open to hear what you have to say. You don’t have to open your damn mouth. Suffering is a choice. Heaven and hell is on earth. So choose wisely. Most of all choose you. I love you 💜
3:56 “Any endeavor that requires a piece of flesh is uncomfortable”, I cry as i type this quote and idk why it brought me to tears and high emotion, i feel it pulls hard on my experience as someone who is neurodivergent but never knew it for 22 years of my life, I know this quote is true for everyone, but growing up anything made me feel like I was fighting against myself. Any action was for others and not for me. THE MOMENT you said these words Nneka is like everything shut down and clicked.
I would write a letter to myself last year and tell her, “you can breathe, you will be free again. He isn’t what you think he is and you are suffocating. But I am bringing in the oxygen. God is with you always.” And I will tell myself today that again, God is with me always. To be patient, to be strong. I am learning not to ask for the things or events any longer, my desire nature will take care of all that in co-creation. But to ask for the strength to find trust and love and commitment. Because those are the things I need to move forward. Thank you for this question. I needed it
You are a natural at this and it's awesome to see it. I think a LOT of people, myself included, need to hear and listen to this... yeah, I'm gonna start writing again. I have the idea down, I just need to put it to paper. Considering this year I've found that I've hit on a barrier of having a lot of trouble overcoming this... inertia of life, for lack of a better term, that I've found myself in? I think the letter I would be writing to myself of a decade ago would be to tell him 'Do your best to learn to act on your own, because if you don't now, it's going to be extremely difficult later on.'
Phew as an artist myself, you are very much an inspiration to me. Each video, each question seems to hit this current version of me, my 31 year old self, very intently. Which is interesting because you’d think I’d be wiser by now… but I feel the most childlike. Your questions resonate so much because I find myself asking why I can’t find my community, why I sometimes feel my art isn’t resonating but it’s because one, I’m uncomfortable with being uncomfortable so I myself place obstacles in my way. And two, I care entirely too much on what others think of me. That’s what I would tell my younger self, to remain bold and brave and to share, share, share. To remain being outspoken, to continue to say how she feels because she will need it more than ever as she grows older, into a woman, a wife, a mother. She will need those tools to be completely who she is unapologetically.
Age 42, been a shadow artist for most of that time..content writer wishing she was an author, a novelist, a screenwriter, anything but writing to pay the bills and for the needs of others. Afraid 100 percent of the time of everything, everyone but a high functioning caretaker all the same.. Currently at the end of decades long coping mechanisms, self combusting at the seams..since we're only free to do anything after we've lost everything, I'm going to make this my year of change, transition, to a truer version of myself. Thank you for making this video.. as I was watching you talking to yourself I felt an affinity with the part of you who gave herself up to please others. I felt compassion for us both❤ and I felt seen.
Listening to your powerful nudges fwd as I sweat on the treadmill. ..closed my eyes and wrote to my younger self: You will never be able to see your whole path before taking the first step. Prioritize growing a clear inner voice and surrender step by step baby girl. It will be uncomfortable sometimes but wildly satisfying. Let it all unfold with self-compassion. You’re a dreamer that also DOES.
“I trust you.” I so desperately want to get to a place to where I trust myself, my decisions and even my mistakes. I value other people trusting me. I want to value myself to a point where I am trusting myself in every step of my journey. Leaning into who I am and not what I’ve been expected to be for 25 years. I pray that I get to a point where I can look myself in the mirror and say, “ I trust you.”
my answer is: "you know what your most magical power is. you are a storyteller; a teller of not only your own stories but a facilitator to other people's stories. care for the part within you that has believed that firmly and eternally. step into your power. that is where you'll find your proudest and most unabashed self."
I would definitely tell the old Danielle that yes, her dreams are possible, even though she thinks everything goes wrong, and what she gets is only disappointment and frustration. That even after so much time, she will still feel lost in life, and deep down, everyone feels that way. That what she creates is indeed art. That she is not a background character, but the main character of her life. Thank you, Nnekaj, for taking me back to my past and helping me realize how much I've grown over all these years. Keep creating girl!!
this is so beautiful, Danielle 🤎"she is not a background character, but the main character of her life." whew! I feel this so deep. thank you for being here.
I would write a letter to my 26 (6 years ago) year old self, telling her that she’s worthy of the spaces she occupies. You’re worthy of your dreams, and you’re enough. Just the way you are. You don’t need validation from anyone but God. Learn to trust yourself more. Always operate from a place of gratitude first.
I would write to 19 y/o Gy, You’re not going to die this year. You’ll survive and you’ll live. I know it has been overwhelming and dark but these times will be your greatest lessons. You will always value the little things, never taking them for granted like being able to enjoy a meal or standing from your bed . I want you to remember that staying silent about your fears won’t make them go away. You’ll learn to speak up and share your mind, you’ll allow yourself to love and be loved. You’ll grow , oh so beautifully! You’ll become your own light and dance in the rains of your life. I promise I’ll never give up on us. And yes your art matters. Your stories matters. You matter. I love you. 29 y/o Gy❤
Gwwwwooorrrrllllll the way I just cried. At your intro. The ancestral default settings within seriously has the strong women in my family in a chokehold in 2024 and I can’t. My creativity is CRYING for me! And all I can seem To do is half-function in fear of their disappointment and half-function in ANTICIPATION AND EXCITEMENT FOR THE NEW LIFE I’m Building in the shadows for myself! But whew….uncomfortable enlargement…exactly that. That’s where I am. Imagine me having to say my first no at 30 wow. Thank you. My letter is to my already rebellious 7 year old self who is sister/mother and maidservant of her own home rather than 7 year old child. She has grieved already and can’t relate to any of her non-colorful classmates and lives a quiet isolated life of religion and cleaning and child-rearing, meal cooking and self-soothing with whatever is left. Give yourself grace. The truth is love really does exist even within when you don’t see it externally. Strive for everything that makes you happy. ❤ Geez. Thanks. Lots of love to you. ❤ and to all the third-culture kids & first born daughters. I see you. 💕
This is without a doubt the most beautiful thing I have watched in a while. Actually, this is really inspiring and even though I most definitely should be sleeping right now I honestly feel enough motivation to move the sun and finally convince myself to take the starting leap of fate to do what I think I love. You have incredible talent in film and editing, I can't believe this is only the first video in this series. I know that the start of anything meaningful is difficult and scary, so I just hope you know how truly wonderful this looks from the outside. I will make sure to stick around, this is beautiful.
você não tem noção de como seus vídeos tem me incentivado e me motivado a voltar a criar. há alguns anos atrás, fui machucado por trabalhar demais no que amo. Hoje, sou constantemente puxado pra trás por esse monstro chamado medo, que me impede de chegar onde realmente quero, de criar o que realmente quero. Minha carta para meu eu, mais novo e tão cheio de vida, falaria sobre aprender a descansar sempre que possível, mas nunca deixar de fazer o que ama. Obrigado pelo sopro de vida, Nneka. Que venham muito mais cartas
te entendo bem demais e apesar de me dizerem que é só ir lá e fazer, é muito mais profundo do que isso. Espero que tu consiga criar o que tu realmente quer
To my 20 year old self, Trust and vulnerability takes time, you should have faith in the actions you take and truly trust yourself with the oucome that happen, life isn't about the results and how fast you get there. I know your excited to do everything, to try anything and you should be, just temper yourself with paitience and push through the haze of decicion and trust openly what you have and the real freinds around you. Push yourself to be the person you want to be, and put yourself first, your will be all you have in the end.
Lost 28 year old me would hear "Keep standing up every time your knocked down. Because in the midst of that journey are some true blessings on the way. be kind. be resilient. and be loving, always." this was very refreshing....Happy i came across this!
I just assumed that this would go to me at the beginning of this year, before it started. And something I realized, long ago, was that if I ever could go back in time and talk to myself, it would never be worthwhile to give myself answers. Because answers to a question you don't have are worse than useless. So, to me at the beginning of this year, I'd just say "I love you, and I'm proud of you. I'm doing so well because of you. I know the hard bits are hard and scary, but I'm doing well. Because of you. You will become me. And I am proud of me. I am, against all odds, happy. You get to be happy."
I have followed your work since passing through..My God..you have a way with words. This letter mimics my story and I’m so glad i found you on RUclips. Thank you for sharing your art with us.
ahhh! wow. this means so much 💛 1. thank you for listening to passing through 2. never ceases to amaze me how our stories can run parallel. thank you for being here, my dear!
We could be turning 16, 26 or 56 and this video would hit you like a brick every time. Thank you for your creativity, talent and for reminding us not to be so harsh on ourselves. Everyday is about learning and forgiving 💓
Not you making me sob so hard😢. Thank you for sharing your story ❤ Dear self, You are the greatest love I have ever known. I am still learning… how to show up for you, the right way, how to parent your inner child with warmth and acceptance, how to relinquish control and allow God to take the lead, how to not be scared anymore, and most importantly how to laugh at the face of the unknown and say “We’ve had this battle before, and won, surely we will win again, and again X infinity You were brave enough to move across the world, away from family and finds just to find me! There is space for you here. You belong. PS. I love you ❤
27 now and have been pondering what the road to 30 looks like. What things will I want to have accomplished? What is the letter I’d want to write to myself today? What a year it’s already been. Took a mental health leave and then a leap of faith by leaving the job of other people’s dreams to live a real dream. One that feels more like me. And God did sooo much this year that I don’t have words…just feelings of awe and anticipation for what’s ahead and what’s next. This was a refreshing video and the first one of yours I’ve seen. Love it! Keep it up!
"You're amazing, beautiful, and mystical person out there. No, you weren't wrong for wanting more in your life, and no, you're not guilty for being sad about how static and pale your life is. Never let the fire within your heart die out."
“You once wrote a quote that said ‘I live in that solitude that is painful in youth but delicious in the years of maturity’ welcome to maturity.” Also side bar when I watched this video, in the middle of it I thought “The revolution is here” My heart appreciates grately this work of art, thank you.
"this is your journey. stumble and fall as much as you have to while you perfect the art of living your own life each sunrise and sunset. express yourself, take care of yourself, meaning (for a people pleaser): be okay with disappointing anyone but you. Don't question it, it working out is guaranteed." For the longest time, I feared my success due to my limiting beliefs. 12 year old me needed to hear this, I would've accomplished so much more, I'm used to thinking. But... I'm right where I need to be. This video is one of those to come back to. Thank you 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
“Glory, your potential would be unraveled through the things you do. Take the challenge and don’t think too much about the process instead live out the process. Don’t let perfectionism and fear of failure hold you back remember to be unmoved because they would pop up occasionally. Give yourself the permission to make mistakes because you tried. To fail because it didn’t work out. To give it another try because you found a new way but don’t Give yourself permission to Give up. Keep doing and you keep moving”
To 18yr old me, life looks bleak right now and there’s so much uncertainty but take the leap and go to uni anyway…it will be hard (a little useless job wise) but you’ll love your course, experience both amazing and terrible things about life and yourself but it will prove your resilience and stretch your creativity! Don’t worry so much, enjoy life you’ll still get a first! Stay away from mean people, they’re not your friends! Oh and you make it past the age of 21…we’re 24 now life is still uncertain but I believe in you and your choices xx
Being also on the cusp of 30 , I would say focus on yourself,trust yourself,respect money,learn about money and develop a healthy relationship with it. But most importantly don’t be afraid to let go of friendships that have outgrown their season
i want to thank my 5 year old self . she walked so i could run as an artist. i am here today in my creative journey because of her. i want to tell her that her sensitivity and empathy are strengths, not weaknesses. keeping your heart open is hard, but worth it. stay present, put yourself out there, and keep going ❤
![Entry Life #1: Who Is Salise - [Growing up, Feeling alone, Struggles of Depression]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yl260SYtx6Q/mqdefault.jpg)
I would write, "Focus on you and the focus becomes you."
love this! 🤎
"you worry too much, live a little, everything works itself out in the end" to my last year self who was 21, suffering the crippling weight of finding his purpose
"everything works itself out in the end" so many of us needed to hear this!
@Alvinmichael223 If I may, I'd like to share a bit of knowledge I gained after spending my early 20s in this same quest as yours: you find purpose by taking action and there's no such thing as a single purpose in life because guess what? People change. We change. So do our purposes. Relax, try to do more of what you enjoy and take action towards the things that move you, that inspire you and the purposes will come. Trust me, even though I'm a stranger who doesn't even live in the same country as you (I'm Brazilian). Currently, I'm 30 years old, and I think it is beautiful to finally breathe and release myself from this pressure that capitalism puts on us and make us think that our lives are only worth living if we have a major purpose. The hell with this, our lives are worth living just because we're humans and that's enough. I hope you find many beautiful purposes to move you through this life. ❤
@@samantacarvalho8669I found this useful.
She’s absolutely beautiful ❤
The first sentence is so me
I started thinking about how to begin this letter and immediately wondered, "How do I earn her trust?". Wow. Now I know the version of myself I'm writing to.
Wooo. I got chills reading this. Just WOW.
Real stuff.
I wonder the same thing.
Powerful. This question is so valid and brought so many emotions to the surface for me. I might have to start here too.
I was going to write something but this statement hit it right on the head.
So powerful. I’ve been battling with trusting myself! I distrust so I quit easily or start things and don’t finish. I finally asked myself why do you trust you enough to see it through 😢
I am 46. What I would tell my 30 year old self:
“Take ownership of who you are and where you want to be.
Stay the path and anticipate bumps in the road. Water your healthy relationships abundantly. Be the person you want to be in the future, NOW. Practice the things you want to do in the future, NOW. “
Thank you for this video. It was beautiful.
I adore this, Nicole! Thank you so much for sharing 🌺
"Chained by cultures that crowned incompetent sons over any deserving daughters." The whewwwwwwwwwwww!!! I just whewed. As a first gen African whose also a first daughter... this spoke to my soulllll. Thank you for this. I love you for this. Gonna revisit every time I need a reminder.
this is your reminder frannn
This is so prevalent in society, im reading a female author book "Im still here - black dignity in a world made for whiteness".
Im a black male in 30s still struggling how to live amongst other people. Im volunteering in these spaces and thinking well of myself not realizing how much im unwanted here. It boggles the mind, weakens the heart, and hurts everyone i try to confide in. Where do we go from here.
Please seek Jesus Christ, repent for your sins, and see what everyone is talkiing about. Come to Christ and allow Him to change your life. I know what you're doing seems right and real to you, but the Truth is in Christ Jesus. He saved me from depression of 8 years and now I can tell you with complete honesty- if you truly follow Him- He can do the same for you. These are not my words, but a promise He can make toward you if you give Him your heart! I truly urge you to seek God for yourself and find the Truth! If you continue to see more messages and signs about Jesus, then maybe that's a sign that God wants you to come to Him-just think about it! All love and Truth, I will be praying for you!
I would write to my 26 year old self. I'd tell her, it's not going to turn out the way you hoped and dreamed. It will break your heart, but it won't break you. You are powerful beyond what you can comprehend. Share that boldly.
"You are powerful beyond what you can comprehend." keeping this close! thank you so much for sharing ❤
❤
thank you, i need more
I would write a letter to my 32 year old self (10 years ago). "Don't chase perfection because perfect doesn't exist and not everything that glitters is gold. Instead invest that extra time and energy into yourself. Things are the happiest in your life than they will be for years and looking for the next best thing while still working for someone else is pointless and will get you nowhere different or happier."
this is incredibly poignant. thank you so much for sharing, my dear 🤎
The last part is it true??
@@ntaolenglebitsa5829 Everyone is different, the older I get, the more l wonder what retirement will look like when that time comes and I'm finding in my life that trying to chase money and climb the corporate ladder has only made me more stressed with less time to build my own business. I left great jobs for more money only to find toxic work environments. Everyone has rough periods at any job but if you find happiness and can survive on your income; in my experience, it's better to build yourself and find ways to make more money on the side through or invest in building your skills to grow where you are. It's true that you can make more money somewhere else but there is no guarantee that happiness is on the other side. If I could rewind time, I would have stayed put and found ways to supplement my income instead of taking risky chances because now I have no retirement, cost of living has increased so the extra money gains is now irrelevant and I feel less fulfilled and uncertain about my future. If I could go back, I'd stay in happiness and invest my time in more education or building income streams on the side.
This is beautiful, but happens if someone chases perfectionism?
WOW😮YOU SAID IT!!❤ THE FIRST THING I READ TODAY IS WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING IN SILENCE. #VIBRATEHIGHER
19 year old me would love to hear from 39 year old me that the experiences make the idea come alive, not the other way around.
whew! couldn’t agree more. thank you for sharing, William 🙏🏽🤎
Oh, how i loved thisss😭😭❤
AMEN!!!
I am the eldest daughter (50), taking care of a mother with dementia and neices and nephews. This is the time for me to be there for my family. I would write to my eighteen-year-old self and tell her to release fear and live her dreams while she's unencumbered by responsibilities. It would've made giving so much to others easier if I'd filled my cup and sustained my family with the overflow. At this point, I'm torn between the people who need me and what I need for myself, and the balance, if there is one, is not so easy to figure out.
I know you didn't ask, so I'm not trying to impose advice, however I wanted to say this: I'm only 19, but my grandmother lived with us with dementia. Try not to forget who she was. It is really easy when you are faced every day with someone who is losing everything you loved about them little by little (or a lot by a lot), but it does get better. I'm praying for you and wishing you the best. I'm very sorry you are going through this. I see you and it is really hard. I hope that you have help and support through this and if you don't, that you can find some soon. With lots of love and peace on you and your family, Charlotte. :)
@@YesCharlotteHodges Thank you. It is good to be seen. Her care is mostly on me. I live for the good days and yet I wish for a break. I'm glad I can be here for her but it is not easy. The contradiction of loving every minute she's herself and wanting to escape my life is always there. Thank you for your prayers. Anyone who has dealt with this disease knows how vicious it is. I can't imagine how you handled it at such a young age. Blessings.
This is me but 25yrs
I see me in you. We can only take it one day at a time🫂
Calm yourself. Don’t take opinions of others to heart. But most importantly learn to calm down. Don’t overextend yourself and compromise your peace. Thats what I needed the most.
so beautiful 🤎 thank you so much sharing
"all that power with no real freedom" ugh.. my body felt that
thank you so so much for watching, Angie! 💛
How do I apologise for rejecting myself first? I would say everything you seek is already within, waiting for you to realise that the noise outside of yourself is a distraction. It’s always and will always be you vs you, enjoy the journey, celebrate the small wins and reframe the way you perceive things to be or how others say they should go. You are the foundation of your own standard.
every. single. word. ❤
“It means taking your gifts seriously” 😮💨
You deserve every good thing coming to you. Thank you 🙏🏼
thank you so much, beauty! 💚
Love from Nigeria. I'm a pharmacist who only dreams of tech and programming. Changing careers now seems like it'll throw my family into chaos because they'd never understand why anyone would want to switch careers.
Thing is, pharmacy's not my cup of tea at all and I feel like I die a bit everyday I go to work (unlike the fulfilment I feel working on coding projects).
I want to take this step of faith but I'm scared of the domino I'll be tipping. Thing is, I don't want to look back 3 years from today and realize I was too chicken to take a step.
As for the version of myself that'll listen, I'll think, either the me just getting into school or the me who lies shivering on his bed this morning wondering why the only thing I'm happy for after 6 years in school is the 'people i met along the way' (and also the relationship i got with God).
I love how my alogrithm found this page and I'm truly grateful it did! I would write this to my 29 year old self before I turned 30. "What happens if you don't give up?" I will be using Uncomfortable Enlargement daily, thank you!
"Just do the damn thing you wanted to do. You don't have to survive everyday anymore, you can actually start to live now. So what is the first thing you want to do while being alive?" To my 23 year old self who dropped out of university and finally got the help that she needed
Writing to 21 year old me. They matter, but not really. People pleasing will only create a world where everything else matters, but you. Your creativity, your thoughts, your feelings, & perception, none of it belongs to you until you outgrow the need to please. Spend time with yourself. Get to know yourself. Take care of yourself… then everything else will start to take care of you.
Dear 22 y/o Astor,
You are always making progress towards a better future. It is going to feel like you are not moving forward with your goals and you are gonna find yourself in situations that you promised yourself you would never be in again, but that does not mean nothing has changed. You are not the same scared little kid anymore, waiting for somebody else to give you purpose. Trust in yourself and continue the charge towards your goals because even when you are making small amounts of progress, in the end it is still progress.
Thanks for writing this. Although I was not mean for me it's still resonate with me. Im currently 22 y/o and in the same situation you are describing in this letter so Im glad I could read this now.
Good luck on your current journey and may God guide your steps. 🙏
A cinematic & writing masterpiece.
appreciate you 🙏
Glad I subscribed yesterday before the start of 100 short films . 100 questions . 100 letters
so glad you're here!
I would tell my 18 year old self “you’re so smart & don’t ever dim your light for anyone”!
every time you share it's a breath of fresh air.
thank you gorgeousss! this means the world. 💗
33-34 year old self (Newly 37). Life is going to hurt over the next three years. From the loss of your bonus dad and the old you that no longer resonates. You will have to walk away from friends and come to terms with those who were never your friends. You will cry a lot and it will get lonely. You will also do the work on yourself to understand how and why you got to those places--therapy and self-help books. Applying the practice will be scary but liberating because you will discover the person who has been afraid to show up all this time. You will become more intentional with your time, make new friends, and become more focused and determined towards your goals. One day you'll wake up and realize you are living in your dreams and know you're on the right path because it will disappear. Just remember to keep going. Keep being consistent. Keep showing up. Start over if you must. Just keep going my love.
This hits "Comfortable, Diminishment or Uncomfortable, Enlargement". When you find the words to explain your current state the fog clears. Thank you Sis!
I would tell 18 year old me, just returning back from a 2 month trip to Nigeria, taking care of her toddler sibling as the eldest daughter for most of the trip, that the call she’ll receive from her mum telling her her A-level results weren’t what she needed to go to her first choice university - was just a sign to lean in and let go. I would tell her not to place all her worth into what she could prove to others. I would tell her that she is beautiful and over-compensating for what she felt she didn’t have would lead to her body sending strong warnings to stop and tap in. I’d tell her it would all work out, and I’m proud of her for accepting and surrendering to what was and going with the flow almost 6 years ago, me now cannot thank her enough.
I feel this so, so deeply. thank you for sharing, my dear 🤎 “just a sign to lean in and let go” 🥹
Jesus the actual Christ! Where is the offering box Nneka? What realm were you in when you wrote this? Didn’t realise we munching on thought-provoking truth & deep revelations so early on🙌🏾And this is just chapter 1 of 100? 😳👏🏽💐❤️
lmaoooo the way I laughed out LOUD Samerah 😭 we got 99 mo' friend!
real.
“her terrified looks like doing the same things hoping she’ll get a different result” 😭😭😭 SAVANNAH SLOW DOWN
I would write a letter to my 15 year old self (15 years ago) who as lost: "Don't hide your greatness in your fears, don't forget to breathe, to inhale the good things and exhale the bad. Don't let any pain take away your joy to bring something beautiful to the world, to the people who really care about you and, specially, to YOURSELF. Don't let the word DON'T be the majority of your decisions and dreams. Run to your goals, run faster than you ever ran and always believe in yourself! That means everything.
I would love to write a letter to 19 year old me. The one without all the knowledge about health conditions, the one who believes they just need to try even harder, the one who cannot imagine why life seems to go easier for others. I would tell them that they are doing absolutely fine, but they really need to take it easy because burnout is a bitch and we are sprinting towards it. I would tell them to trust their heart and gut; that they won't regret doing anything they truly believe in; that sometimes things are hard and that is how it goes. I would show them a polaroid picture from four years in the future and tell them to document their present moment.
thank you so much for sharing 🤎 "trust their heart AND gut" I need that printed out.
I'm 19 and I loved reading this. :) I dream to live and yet I find that I live to not regret my life. "they won't regret doing anything they truly believe in;" was really comforting. Thanks.
Nneka, Please Never Stop Creating. I'm also afraid but watching your creations gives me little bursts of energy. I'm so freaking scared I would be trapped in mediocrity and undervaluation. Yet, I feel trapped in my incompetence and excusing everything for perfection 😢
You got this Betty! one day, one step at a time. i think the only real way to stay trapped in mediocrity and undervaluation is to never try. it's in the trying, the DOING, that we break the loop 🤎make it so small you can't fail. and do it again, and again!
@@nnekaj 😭 thanks so much for this response! how's this making me cry? I'm supposed to be a tough girl. 😭 Probably just hormones 🥲
Giving yourself permission to act is so freeing-it’s about taking control of your life and not waiting for external validation
Stop being scared, you got this, just believe in yourself and all your abilities, endeavours and know that you can do it if you put your mind to it, you are way more powerful than you think, you are super resourceful and not as limited as you think you are! Just DO IT!
'Every day you'll have to go to war with your conditioning'
This video and this one alone gave me the push i didn't know I needed to shoot the remaining portion of a video idea I have been sitting on for months! First video of yours I've watched and instantly hit the subscribe button!
Thank you for this, Julia.
I'm a writer. I decided to write the letter to post on my IG. But by the end, it was just too personal and I found myself in a pool of tears. I wrote to all the versions of myself. I realized I was a child and I didn't deserve the abuse, the betrayal. I felt love and compassion for these children versions of myself.
I began the letter with: I would write to my two year old self, that child with dreadlocked hair.
I ended the letter with: I would write to them, preparing them for this year. I would tell them "Lord help me."
Oh woman... You gave me goosebumps and made me want to cry with that. Those words are nearly identical to what I tell myself nowadays and it's beautiful to see them reflected like this, into such a beautiful piece of art, made by a beautiful, intelligent, talented woman, inspiring me to do the very same.
The letter I would write to my younger self, to me when I was 25, five years ago is this:
"Hello darling,
First things first, time travel is possible ; your consciousness can travel back and forth and you can probably feel this, hear this and therefore act on it at some point, when the time is right.
You are trying so hard to fit into a box, a label, a life that was never meant to encapsulate all that you are. That is alright you are doing this - no one showed you there was another way - but it will only bring you more pain and your light, your shine will never glow brighter and stronger if you don't start listening to your own self. To your heart, to your dreams. Remember who you wanted to be when you were a child, remember the feeling of blissful solitude in nature, of the power in your voice when you sing, of the vibrant self you can feel yourself becoming when you let yourself exist and when you scream your anger to the ocean. No one can tell you who you need to be, who you ought to be, you already are and you have so much more light and power than you know. You don't ever need to beg for friendship, for love, for care, for family, for worth because it is already within you and once you open your broken heart to magic again, you will start to see that I am right. The next few years are going to be very hard, but they will show you who you truly are and they will free you of shackles you weren't consciously aware you were still wearing... So tight, you bled. I love you, even in your darkest moments you are still a bright, beautiful, passionate woman that I am proud to call "me". Be brave, be bold, be courageous, it will be painful but you will come to know what unconditional love means and how existence is so much more than what your mind has been conditioned to think it is. Good luck, it is coming.... Your time is coming."
Thank you for this project you are doing, I look forward to the next video and feeling these goosebumps again ❤
I LOVE this series!! Don't stop! I think I would have asked myself - throughout this whole year honestly - why I don't think I deserve success, why I don't think I can have it, and then how to bridge that gap. I would have told her to sleep. I would have told me (currently) to sleep, too. That I am capable of filling my days with the joy I seek. That it's already there. That I have full control over all of my reactions and that I need to take ownership of them in all situations and aspects of my life. What kind of friends do you want to have? And what kind of a friend do you want to be? And most importantly/finally: Why ARE you already capable of success and why DO you deserve it? How are you ALREADY a SUCCESS?
I'm 42, just celebrated my birthday last week and I felt like I did when I turned 30. I felt like I have accomplished anything carreer wise and as a result I can't move the way I would like to. If I were to say something to my 30 year old self is. Take chances, you will fail . Don't let failure stop you from trying with each failure there is a lesson so continue to fail forward. I'm about to go to take my own advice. Thanks for making me do this.
I would tell my 14 y/o self (8 years ago) to stop dwelling on the past. Focus on the present and control what you’re able to control. I would also tell her that she’s beautiful & worthy. All of the trials and tribulations are going preparing you for your future self. Whether or not you understands why something happened or not. Keep striving for greatness babygirl because you are almost there !
I would write to her and say I'm sorry that I tried to hide your greatness! This was so beautiful Nnekaj, thank you thank you for your art
beautiful, Nai! thank you for sharing 💗
as a middle child and oldest daughter... i needed this. its like you put what i've been experiencing these past couple years into the perfect words. un-conditioning and giving myself permission. beautifully done 🤍
thank you for watching, Tiana 🤎 I'm convinced us eldest daughters / middle children need a support group, a yearly all expense paid retreat, somethin. if we don't give ourselves permission no one will. one day at a time, my dear.
@@nnekajas a middle child only daughter i feel this and 100% agree. And as a creative and facilitator myself i also say let’s make these retreats happen !!
@@itsrubymejia ahhh yes please!!
All the love to all the other middle children / oldest daughters ❤️❤️❤️
Firstly thank you for this, the bold 28 year old me who quit their corporate job to pursue their dream would write to 35 year old me, and remind me of the validity of my dreams, my ability to endure and a reminder to honor the sacrifices I made to get to where I am so don't sabotage yourself, rest but don't stop in the middle.
Dear Nicole( @17)
We're turning 21 real soon. And this isn't the life you hoped to live with the freedom you prayed for.(Yes, We're free at last) The family's okay, there's lots of peace. Mostly externally though. Internally, there's a mess I've made. We were doing so well and then all of a sudden we weren't. And I'm struggling to give myself permission to get back up again, get moving. So this year, I need you to focus. When you get to the start of this year, this point in time, I need you to look strictly ahead. Ahead of the race. Not beside you to whomever's running as well, not behind you. Don't even wait for the whistle- just go! And keep going. I need you to hold on to the memories of why We're running in the first place, who We're doing it for. I need you to keep writing. Write. Write. And write some more. I need you to keep the Faith going, don't loose it no matter what. And I need you to keep the Dream alive. Please. It's essential. While you live in this year, love. Love as much as you can. And laugh even more. Do more things that make you laugh. I'll be here if you need any help but I'll let you forge most of this path. You are beautiful, you are brave. You are strong and you will accomplish everything you put your mind to. I love you. God loves you.
_Nicole @20
beautiful, Nicole. just wow. thank you so much for sharing. such a sobering reminder for me now 💛
mainstream stuff about selfimprovement are so overrated.The best investment you can make is in yourself. Books are the ultimate learning tool. Unveiling Your Hidden Potential by Bruce Thornwood helped me build discipline and separate my mindset from 90% of other people
As I return to this video once again, I always get a little gem from this. As a 25 year old who feels as though she has a lack of experience, lack of knowledge, but knows that she has the capabilities and the willingness to learn the things that interest her. She wants to make the things that bring her joy, she wants to do the things that bring her adventure, she no longer desires to be low-balled for her worth and talents.
To my 18 year old self:
Hi honeybee. I know it'll feel tough, but leave that relationship. It's no longer going to serve you. Go to college and experience life, get your education and get that degree. You don't need someone's lack of trust, faith and love to stop you from doing what you want to do. Leave the job that taught you as much as it could until it couldn't anymore. It's not forever. Go try your hand at something new. Think about the things you wanted to start and see what things do. Stop limiting yourself to the people around you and your environment. Just because they clipped their wings or let someone else do it for them doesn't mean you let them do the same to you. If you need to, make a new set that can't be clipped.
Love You. ❤
Keep going, you are doing it. People will be flocking to your content in very short order. Beautiful work!
thank you Shaina! 😭🥹🫶🏽
@@nnekaj how do you properly pronounce your name dear friend? I am recording my podcast episode for this week (Daily Magic)RIGHT NOW, and your work fits so perfectly into today's topic. I'd love to talk about it on my pod and link people to your channel. You have a very special, very important voice in this world!
I’m 39 years old and would write a letter to my 21 year old self. Life is not what you thought it would be, but believe in yourself and stay dedicated. Focus on the things you can control and everything else will work itself out. I randomly stumbled on this video after having a rough morning and it just made me feel like crying! This season of life that I am experiencing right now is difficult. Trying to find my place in this world, while making sure I’m present for my wife and daughter, and learning to count my blessings in the process.
I would say
Dear me,
You worry too much, think too much, doubt yourself too much, expect the most from people too much, put people above yourself too much but at the same time see the best and believe in people even when you know they should leave so from now on out you’ll live the kind of life I call “letting go”. If you put in the effort and whatever and whoever it it doesn’t want to stay then you’re allowed to let the person or whatever it is go without seeing yourself in a bad light because at the end of the day your future self will be proud of work you put in even though it hurt and your past self that has been screaming its never too late to start over will be even more proud that you took the tough route
yours sincerely,
your past self to your present self and your future self ✨
Don’t care if this projects takes 1 year or 10 years, I’m going to be here for every letter.
This would be for many stages of myself: Don't settle for anything. Focus on myself more than putting that energy into others. I am worthy of all those dreams I have in my head if I just stay focused on them.
I was not prepared for this video, as I look out of the window of my job that I have been at for 4 years. I took a new job and they dont even know it yet. At times it feels like betrayal, but they have no loyalty to us. I am often living life to please my spouse and my children. I have not even thought about myself as I love them more than I love myself. Yet, daily tears drop because of me putting myself last. I took a 50K pay cut to this new job as the pay does not matter to me but the experience and the travel that I will gain. My life dream is so close within hands reach and I can no longer put it on the back burner. I want my tears to be tears of happiness no longer the tears of my sacrifice. I needed to see and hear and truly take in this video. Your words are so powerful I have watched and listened to this video over 30x. God brought me hear and I needed it so. Chills. I will start writing today. Thank you so much for this.
Yooooo this was incredibly BEAUTIFUL!!! Stopped me in my tracks. Thank you for sharing your magic🙏🏼
Letter to my younger self:
Dear Babygirl,
Buckle up… because this is going to be the most challenging year of your life. You will be scared and you will move through that fear. Getting stronger every day. There are so many lessons you just are not learning, Love. So trust that all of the hardship is there to shake you awake. Don’t be scared. Just be aware. Aware of all the lessons that life has been whispering to you all along. Learn to learn the lesson the first time, Babygirl. And trust that by walking through the fire of this year, you will become more of the woman you’ve always dreamed of being.💖
I am much older now. Today I would tell my younger self, focus on loving myself first and foremost. What caught my attention about you was giving myself permission. It struck me like giving myself approval, love. Talking to myself with love. I can remember a younger me cruising along and having so much goodness coming my way. Love conquers all, loving oneself, myself, conquers all doubts, distractions of the world around me. Thank you for inspiring me with your story.
I clicked on this so fast☺WOW! Just WOW! This is is so timely!
Writing to my 15 year old self, the beautiful dreamer, I would say......
Thank you for not giving up. I love you! God loves you!
It's finally time for you to quit quitting and go for it! Finish what you started! Stop hiding and put yourself out there. It doesn't matter how many others are doing what you like to do, nobody does it like you. Nobody is you. The world needs you! Also, it matters not how many likes you get, how many following you have or whether or not you go viral, do this for you! Even if you only positively touch one life, you have made an impact. Don't focus on who doesn't like you, the only thing that matters is that YOU LOVE YOUR SELF. Don't let the opinions of anyone else, not even your family and loved ones, stop you from making your dreams reality. You are so creative. It's time to use your gifts. Do it for you!! Do it by yourself! You've had it in you all along. Forget fear! Fear isn't real! Be bold! Dream big, it's free! Your imagination is just a preview to your life's coming attractions. Life loves you, love it back! Live out loud!
Don't get distracted by what anyone else is doing, you keep doing what you love and focus on your own path. Tap into your inner power and shake the world!
PS. Just be yourself. The world will adjust.💞
Love always,
Nat🌻
this brought me to tears. thank you so much for sharing, Nat! ❤
🥺🫶🏾
Your video popped up on my feed at work and home (2 different accounts). I knew I wanted/needed to be distraction-free when I watched...
My letter to myself (abridged):
Listen to your instincts more. Do what you want and do not wait on those that say, "Don't worry about that. We can do that later." This is key to your freedom. Your moment is yours. Timing is relevant to your needs and desires. You will resent all the opportunities that slipped by because you were trying to be nice. More chances will present themselves. But you'll never get back the ones you missed. Live your life for you; the most important person in your universe. Love, the one who loves you most.
You brought me to tears…. This is the reality we struggle with each moment we breathe.
In your words, I heard the voice of my Granny reminding me of the power of the mind.
God Bless you ❤
I'm 31. To my 25 yr old self - Be confident, hold on to your big dreams and stay positive. Have boundaries and let people be mad at you, let them judge you as long as you're boldly being yourself, be kind but not too nice. At 31 you've not yet made it, but you've accomplished a lot and you're still passionate :) I see that goal and you're almost there, keep going, don't stop. Most of all rest and be kind to yourself❤
Dear 23 year old me,
The life you knew shattered into a million and one pieces because the foundation you were raised on was flawed. I know it’s heartbreaking, but you need to keep moving forward and give yourself grace. I promise this new foundation won’t crack.
As someone that had to experience intense grief , loss and change this year, I would tell myself that they have the permission to feel. Just feel every emotion that comes along regardless of how intense it can be. Do not bottle it up, do not keep yourself busy to avoid it, do not pretend it is not there. Let the waves of sadness and happiness come and continue to believe that all will be well.
As I went through this video, tears rolled down my face, my heart began to sink, and my mind simply started wondering... As I turn 26 on the 23rd, my first celebration in a new country without my family. For this year as a 25 year old - I would say, that keeping God by your side ensures everything will work out, and even when you are unsure, take the leap of faith/courage/hope and a risk or two. With a big note in saying, start vision boards as soon as you can, while trusting God with the finer details of how and when, and lastly healing is a journey to learn about yourself, for yourself, and to choose for yourself - it is not on anyone else's timeline, but yours. Keep going - it will all be worth it.
My 12 year old self, first encountering depression, loss of my family. The one who was desperate and angry at EVERYTHING. she deserves this letter that I’m going to write.
She's lucky to have you 🧡
currently 22... turning 23 next month and I would tell my 19 year old self (being that I would be of the age to understand and accept) I would say: "Take your time, make every moment last and enjoy every moment. Also, do what you can NOW and not wait for later because later will be different and time will move a lot slower than you would hope, but time will also reveal and heal the things you've lost" That being said, I am currently trusting time while waiting to see what's on the other side. Nneka, Thank you so much for this! and for having the will to get up and share your creativity. As a fellow creative and a new sub, this is truly inspiring and encouraging. 💕
My 26th birthday is coming up in two weeks and I can find all the great things that I’ve learned this year that I could pass on to my younger self, but then again I’m sitting here balling my eyes out still feeling empty on the inside.
All I can tell my younger self and congratulate him for is through all the anxiety of trying to put your 100% in your musical journey, your day job and your family, you still showed up to your craft, your work and your relationships.
To my future self, you’re getting shit done and fighting through the fear of judgement from others, staying strong and day by day you’re one step closer to fully embracing who you are and watering your self-love. Don’t give up on yourself and on the people who love you.
22 year old Victor needs to learn that standing out is not the same thing as doing well and that he doesn’t have to actively pursue a uniqueness or a persona that sets him apart. He’s chasing that in lieu of nurturing what makes him himself and is losing his creativity to vanity in the process. I’d tell him it’s ok to embrace and act upon his desire for creative expression without immediately becoming some savant. That small steps matter as much as the large ones.
He’s not nearly as sceptical as I am now. That’s good. But he’s also not willing to sculpt the man he wants to be from the man he currently is; that has not changed.
I’d tell him to focus on what matters. The beauty of his gifts, the love of family and the sheer luck of where he is. 22 was a step into the forest and he won’t leave for a while. It’d be great if he stopped getting lost looking for an escape he knows will only be found by walking the path ahead and not meandering elsewhere.
He’ll be fine, just surprised that things didn’t turn out how he thought. But he’ll be fine.
I have a feeling that my current self is the one I’ll be writing to in the future. I’m 18, going into college, and I’m scared I’ll be too much of a mess (organizationally) to make something of myself. I fear I won’t be driven enough, that I’ll ruin opportunities that I get. I’m scared I’ll ruin my life and be too lazy to fix it. Now that I’ve laid my heart out, a message to my 16 year old self: your family will come around. Don’t be afraid to be out at school. You’re doing great, I’m proud of you.
Somehow, these often feel like therapy Nneka, of course there is no replacement but this brings me comfort. I would write to my 20 year old self(9 years ago), preparing to leave college and go to the real world. I would tell her that, you will not have it figured out this year. This year will test you, try you and challenge you, the anxiety will feel crippling for awhile and you will wonder if there is a point to any of it. In the end you will be the one to carry yourself forward, the lessons that you have learnt till this year will keep you stable, your community will ground you, and growth will humble you so what you will have to learn to practice is leaning into the uncertainty and finding it both daunting and exciting.
I feel like I would have been more receptive at 25. I always kind of had an open mind. But I couldn’t really elaborate how I felt at the time. This version of me would have spark her curiosity. I would have said to her….Don’t listen to none of your relatives. Just because they are apart of your bloodline doesn’t mean they care. RUN in the opposite direction. Stop giving people benefit of the doubt. They will ONLY treat you as an extension of themselves. Accept what you already innately know. Stop playing victim. Stop caring so much. You have a strong mind and a good heart. Stop letting the past control you. What you can’t control shouldn’t CONTROL YOU! Question EVERYTHING! Isolation is very healthy. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. POUR INTO YOURSELF. TRUST YOURSELF. YOU ARE A CREATIVE GENIUS! Clarity is on the other side darkness. Notice the red flags within you and others. Outside validation is unimportant. Most of it’s okay to be silent. If people are not open to hear what you have to say. You don’t have to open your damn mouth. Suffering is a choice. Heaven and hell is on earth. So choose wisely. Most of all choose you. I love you 💜
3:56 “Any endeavor that requires a piece of flesh is uncomfortable”, I cry as i type this quote and idk why it brought me to tears and high emotion, i feel it pulls hard on my experience as someone who is neurodivergent but never knew it for 22 years of my life, I know this quote is true for everyone, but growing up anything made me feel like I was fighting against myself. Any action was for others and not for me. THE MOMENT you said these words Nneka is like everything shut down and clicked.
5:40 girl i just broke down .., AGAIN when you posed the question to us, WOW, this video is something else.
“You are brimming with confidence and hope, let it alchemize into self trust and love”
I would write a letter to myself last year and tell her, “you can breathe, you will be free again. He isn’t what you think he is and you are suffocating. But I am bringing in the oxygen. God is with you always.” And I will tell myself today that again, God is with me always. To be patient, to be strong.
I am learning not to ask for the things or events any longer, my desire nature will take care of all that in co-creation. But to ask for the strength to find trust and love and commitment. Because those are the things I need to move forward.
Thank you for this question. I needed it
You are a natural at this and it's awesome to see it. I think a LOT of people, myself included, need to hear and listen to this... yeah, I'm gonna start writing again. I have the idea down, I just need to put it to paper.
Considering this year I've found that I've hit on a barrier of having a lot of trouble overcoming this... inertia of life, for lack of a better term, that I've found myself in? I think the letter I would be writing to myself of a decade ago would be to tell him 'Do your best to learn to act on your own, because if you don't now, it's going to be extremely difficult later on.'
I haven't finished the video yet but I'm on the verge of tears. Thank you for making me feel
Perfecf comment, Rachel.
Thank you for voicing it.
Phew as an artist myself, you are very much an inspiration to me. Each video, each question seems to hit this current version of me, my 31 year old self, very intently. Which is interesting because you’d think I’d be wiser by now… but I feel the most childlike. Your questions resonate so much because I find myself asking why I can’t find my community, why I sometimes feel my art isn’t resonating but it’s because one, I’m uncomfortable with being uncomfortable so I myself place obstacles in my way. And two, I care entirely too much on what others think of me. That’s what I would tell my younger self, to remain bold and brave and to share, share, share. To remain being outspoken, to continue to say how she feels because she will need it more than ever as she grows older, into a woman, a wife, a mother. She will need those tools to be completely who she is unapologetically.
Age 42, been a shadow artist for most of that time..content writer wishing she was an author, a novelist, a screenwriter, anything but writing to pay the bills and for the needs of others. Afraid 100 percent of the time of everything, everyone but a high functioning caretaker all the same.. Currently at the end of decades long coping mechanisms, self combusting at the seams..since we're only free to do anything after we've lost everything, I'm going to make this my year of change, transition, to a truer version of myself.
Thank you for making this video.. as I was watching you talking to yourself I felt an affinity with the part of you who gave herself up to please others. I felt compassion for us both❤ and I felt seen.
Listening to your powerful nudges fwd as I sweat on the treadmill. ..closed my eyes and wrote to my younger self: You will never be able to see your whole path before taking the first step. Prioritize growing a clear inner voice and surrender step by step baby girl. It will be uncomfortable sometimes but wildly satisfying. Let it all unfold with self-compassion. You’re a dreamer that also DOES.
“I trust you.” I so desperately want to get to a place to where I trust myself, my decisions and even my mistakes. I value other people trusting me. I want to value myself to a point where I am trusting myself in every step of my journey. Leaning into who I am and not what I’ve been expected to be for 25 years. I pray that I get to a point where I can look myself in the mirror and say, “ I trust you.”
my answer is: "you know what your most magical power is. you are a storyteller; a teller of not only your own stories but a facilitator to other people's stories. care for the part within you that has believed that firmly and eternally. step into your power. that is where you'll find your proudest and most unabashed self."
I would definitely tell the old Danielle that yes, her dreams are possible, even though she thinks everything goes wrong, and what she gets is only disappointment and frustration. That even after so much time, she will still feel lost in life, and deep down, everyone feels that way. That what she creates is indeed art. That she is not a background character, but the main character of her life.
Thank you, Nnekaj, for taking me back to my past and helping me realize how much I've grown over all these years. Keep creating girl!!
this is so beautiful, Danielle 🤎"she is not a background character, but the main character of her life." whew! I feel this so deep. thank you for being here.
I would write a letter to my 26 (6 years ago) year old self, telling her that she’s worthy of the spaces she occupies. You’re worthy of your dreams, and you’re enough. Just the way you are. You don’t need validation from anyone but God. Learn to trust yourself more. Always operate from a place of gratitude first.
I would write to 19 y/o Gy,
You’re not going to die this year. You’ll survive and you’ll live. I know it has been overwhelming and dark but these times will be your greatest lessons. You will always value the little things, never taking them for granted like being able to enjoy a meal or standing from your bed . I want you to remember that staying silent about your fears won’t make them go away. You’ll learn to speak up and share your mind, you’ll allow yourself to love and be loved. You’ll grow , oh so beautifully! You’ll become your own light and dance in the rains of your life. I promise I’ll never give up on us. And yes your art matters. Your stories matters. You matter. I love you.
29 y/o Gy❤
Gwwwwooorrrrllllll the way I just cried. At your intro. The ancestral default settings within seriously has the strong women in my family in a chokehold in 2024 and I can’t. My creativity is CRYING for me! And all I can seem
To do is half-function in fear of their disappointment and half-function in ANTICIPATION AND EXCITEMENT FOR THE NEW LIFE I’m
Building in the shadows for myself! But whew….uncomfortable enlargement…exactly that. That’s where I am. Imagine me having to say my first no at 30 wow. Thank you. My letter is to my already rebellious 7 year old self who is sister/mother and maidservant of her own home rather than 7 year old child. She has grieved already and can’t relate to any of her non-colorful classmates and lives a quiet isolated life of religion and cleaning and child-rearing, meal cooking and self-soothing with whatever is left. Give yourself grace. The truth is love really does exist even within when you don’t see it externally. Strive for everything that makes you happy. ❤
Geez. Thanks. Lots of love to you. ❤ and to all the third-culture kids & first born daughters. I see you. 💕
This is without a doubt the most beautiful thing I have watched in a while. Actually, this is really inspiring and even though I most definitely should be sleeping right now I honestly feel enough motivation to move the sun and finally convince myself to take the starting leap of fate to do what I think I love. You have incredible talent in film and editing, I can't believe this is only the first video in this series. I know that the start of anything meaningful is difficult and scary, so I just hope you know how truly wonderful this looks from the outside. I will make sure to stick around, this is beautiful.
você não tem noção de como seus vídeos tem me incentivado e me motivado a voltar a criar.
há alguns anos atrás, fui machucado por trabalhar demais no que amo. Hoje, sou constantemente puxado pra trás por esse monstro chamado medo, que me impede de chegar onde realmente quero, de criar o que realmente quero.
Minha carta para meu eu, mais novo e tão cheio de vida, falaria sobre aprender a descansar sempre que possível, mas nunca deixar de fazer o que ama.
Obrigado pelo sopro de vida, Nneka. Que venham muito mais cartas
te entendo bem demais e apesar de me dizerem que é só ir lá e fazer, é muito mais profundo do que isso. Espero que tu consiga criar o que tu realmente quer
To my 20 year old self,
Trust and vulnerability takes time, you should have faith in the actions you take and truly trust yourself with the oucome that happen, life isn't about the results and how fast you get there. I know your excited to do everything, to try anything and you should be, just temper yourself with paitience and push through the haze of decicion and trust openly what you have and the real freinds around you. Push yourself to be the person you want to be, and put yourself first, your will be all you have in the end.
Lost 28 year old me would hear "Keep standing up every time your knocked down. Because in the midst of that journey are some true blessings on the way. be kind. be resilient. and be loving, always." this was very refreshing....Happy i came across this!
I just assumed that this would go to me at the beginning of this year, before it started. And something I realized, long ago, was that if I ever could go back in time and talk to myself, it would never be worthwhile to give myself answers. Because answers to a question you don't have are worse than useless. So, to me at the beginning of this year, I'd just say "I love you, and I'm proud of you. I'm doing so well because of you. I know the hard bits are hard and scary, but I'm doing well. Because of you. You will become me. And I am proud of me. I am, against all odds, happy. You get to be happy."
I have followed your work since passing through..My God..you have a way with words. This letter mimics my story and I’m so glad i found you on RUclips. Thank you for sharing your art with us.
ahhh! wow. this means so much 💛 1. thank you for listening to passing through 2. never ceases to amaze me how our stories can run parallel. thank you for being here, my dear!
We could be turning 16, 26 or 56 and this video would hit you like a brick every time. Thank you for your creativity, talent and for reminding us not to be so harsh on ourselves. Everyday is about learning and forgiving 💓
Not you making me sob so hard😢. Thank you for sharing your story ❤
Dear self,
You are the greatest love I have ever known.
I am still learning…
how to show up for you, the right way,
how to parent your inner child with warmth and acceptance,
how to relinquish control and allow God to take the lead,
how to not be scared anymore,
and most importantly
how to laugh at the face of the unknown and say “We’ve had this battle before, and won, surely we will win again, and again X infinity
You were brave enough to move across the world, away from family and finds just to find me! There is space for you here. You belong.
PS. I love you ❤
Love the authenticity ,, please continue to enlighten more people around this world with your sound storytelling !
"Everyday, you'll have to go to war with your conditioninig"
Thank you for putting into words a duty I've been struggling with for quite a while now.
27 now and have been pondering what the road to 30 looks like. What things will I want to have accomplished? What is the letter I’d want to write to myself today? What a year it’s already been. Took a mental health leave and then a leap of faith by leaving the job of other people’s dreams to live a real dream. One that feels more like me. And God did sooo much this year that I don’t have words…just feelings of awe and anticipation for what’s ahead and what’s next. This was a refreshing video and the first one of yours I’ve seen. Love it! Keep it up!
"You're amazing, beautiful, and mystical person out there. No, you weren't wrong for wanting more in your life, and no, you're not guilty for being sad about how static and pale your life is. Never let the fire within your heart die out."
“You once wrote a quote that said ‘I live in that solitude that is painful in youth but delicious in the years of maturity’ welcome to maturity.” Also side bar when I watched this video, in the middle of it I thought “The revolution is here” My heart appreciates grately this work of art, thank you.
I wrote, ' start living and stop acting '
Thank you, this is helping me heal and find my true self
"this is your journey. stumble and fall as much as you have to while you perfect the art of living your own life each sunrise and sunset. express yourself, take care of yourself, meaning (for a people pleaser): be okay with disappointing anyone but you.
Don't question it, it working out is guaranteed."
For the longest time, I feared my success due to my limiting beliefs. 12 year old me needed to hear this, I would've accomplished so much more, I'm used to thinking. But... I'm right where I need to be. This video is one of those to come back to. Thank you 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
“Glory, your potential would be unraveled through the things you do. Take the challenge and don’t think too much about the process instead live out the process. Don’t let perfectionism and fear of failure hold you back remember to be unmoved because they would pop up occasionally. Give yourself the permission to make mistakes because you tried. To fail because it didn’t work out. To give it another try because you found a new way but don’t Give yourself permission to Give up. Keep doing and you keep moving”
To 18yr old me, life looks bleak right now and there’s so much uncertainty but take the leap and go to uni anyway…it will be hard (a little useless job wise) but you’ll love your course, experience both amazing and terrible things about life and yourself but it will prove your resilience and stretch your creativity!
Don’t worry so much, enjoy life you’ll still get a first! Stay away from mean people, they’re not your friends!
Oh and you make it past the age of 21…we’re 24 now life is still uncertain but I believe in you and your choices xx
Being also on the cusp of 30 , I would say focus on yourself,trust yourself,respect money,learn about money and develop a healthy relationship with it. But most importantly don’t be afraid to let go of friendships that have outgrown their season
Sis, you are in my business and you are welcomed. Thank you for releasing this for this of us that need to hear!
i want to thank my 5 year old self . she walked so i could run as an artist. i am here today in my creative journey because of her. i want to tell her that her sensitivity and empathy are strengths, not weaknesses. keeping your heart open is hard, but worth it. stay present, put yourself out there, and keep going ❤