musings | words for my fourteen year old self

inspired by the mini questions at the end of "the conversation" with amanda de cadanet on lifetime, i thought i would centre this post around "advice for my fourteen-year-old self. at the end of the first two episodes of the conversation, amanda asks her guests and everyday women "what would you tell your fourteen-year-old self?"

my favourite answer to the query was by mike and molly actress melissa mccarthy who said "i would tell her...not to be so hard on mom and dad. because they're are great." i wish i could tell my younger self this as well. i have pretty amazing parents and i can see now that any issues i had with them were actually only with myself.

i would tell my fourteen year old self that sometimes, you don't have to tell everyone everything. you don't have to shout all of your thoughts from the rooftops. i would let her know that she doesn't have to be the centre of attention - people will still find her to be interesting. i would tell her that it's okay to be a bit of a wallflower and that sometimes keeping your thoughts to yourself is what makes them more special.

i would tell her that yes, she has met her husband already. but that he's not ready for her yet (and won't be for a long time). i would suggest that in the meantime - she enjoy herself and the relationships she forms with the opposite sex. "you don't have to take those relationships so seriously" i would say, "and don't forget that your self worth can only be formed by yourself."

and finally, with the utmost firmness i would insist that my fourteen-year-old self never lose the confidence that she has. i never would have considered myself confident at the age of fourteen. but when i compare her to me...she's got it in spades. and in that regard, i agree with one of the women on the show who answered: "i would be more curious in what she has to tell me."


what would you want to tell your teenage self?