This article was first published in May 2021.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. As we grow up, we learn from our mistakes, develop our personalities and discover who we are. If we were to write a letter of advice to our younger self, what would we tell them? What do we know now that we wish we knew then? What have we learned?
For this series of thought-provoking films, we asked eighteen young people to write a letter to their younger selves. This is Dear Younger Me.
Dear younger me,
You're stronger than what you think. I never really give you any credit for the hardship you went through. To be taken out of a place you assumed was home for the first four years of your life was hard. To never truly be able to tell your friends how it was was hard. To grow to be that girl who felt as though it was always your fault was hard.
That is strength.
To go through school with the constant weight of being a child in care and all the negativity you felt came along with that. You felt you would fail, that you will no longer be worthy or wanted. A limiting mindset like that can be very damaging: letting go of it will be the best thing you ever do.
Getting those grades and getting to university, something you were told never really happened for kids like you, does. You accomplish it and you keep accomplishing things. Don't let your past define you, it was never your choice or your fault.
The stigma of failure was never yours to accept. Allow yourself to release your hold on what you could never control. Write letters and never send them. Let yourself feel that relief of letting it go. Love the family have now, who want you and know you're worth. Your amazing sister and incredibly strong mum, who may not be yours by birth, but both love you unconditionally as if you were blood. Submerge yourself in that love and always remember… you are much more than your past.
With love from twenty-year-old Amanda.
Don't let your past define you… you are much more than your past.
20–year–old Amanda grew up in the care system. In this Dear Younger Me, Amanda tells her younger self that a limiting mindset can be damaging and letting go of it is the best thing she can do. She tells her younger self to release her hold on things she can't control and focus on the love she has in her life right now.
If you need support
You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.
If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact Childline, where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are more links to helpful organisations on the BBC Bitesize Action Line page for young people.
Dear Younger Me: Qezz
If you wrote a letter to your younger self, what would it say? This is Qezz's letter.
Dear Younger Me: Caothan
If you wrote a letter to your younger self, what would it say? This is Caothan's letter.
Dear Younger Me: How letter-writing can help your mental health
Writing a letter to a younger version of you that went through a hard time can really help you - here's how.
