Dear younger me, If I would have known what I know now I would be a different person than what I am today. Also to always make more smart decisions when it comes to a lot of things throughout life as a young person. And to always be yourself and be a leader and don’t try to be a follower. To add on to that is to not be afraid to fail because it can push you to be better and you’re not always going to get everything right in life. And take things one at a time, do not try to rush or do anything too fast so it doesn’t affect you. Another thing I would tell myself is to not expect someone to do something for you because you have to rely on yourself to do everything for you and to make sure you are doing the right things because it can help you more in a lot of ways. And that your perspective is the most important thing you can change. Also to not worry about things so much or do not worry about failing because if you do you’re going to get stressed and overthink. Continuing to work hard and also taking breaks so you don’t have to worry and become stressed. Also to believe in yourself especially if no one else will believe in you. And do not expect everything to happen as planned because things will not always go your way and you have to remember that things will not work out how you expect it to. Choose the right group of friends because some friends can throw you off and it can affect you a lot and it can keep you off track. And that other people’s opinions of you should not matter towards you because you should always be yourself and not let anyone judge you.
Don’t put too much pressure onto yourself because it can force you to do things at a certain amount of time or can make you rush. And remembering that failure can also become a good thing towards you and your life because it can motivate you even more to keep going. Also to be honest and remain honest with yourself, your feelings, and your perspectives. And do not always seek perfection in others or yourself because everyone can’t be perfect. Have self control and self respect towards myself especially if someone doesn’t have respect towards you and always show respect to others. Do not let no negativity ruin your goal and stay focused on your growth. To add on to that to also try new things and take risks and don’t be scared and don’t stay down and ask myself what can I learn from trying these new things. Make better independent choices and always focus on myself first and my decisions before anyone else’s decisions and opinions. If I would have known all the things that I know today I would’ve been a different person when I was younger. This is what I would tell my younger self if I had known what I knew today.
Samere Williams – Chicago Hope Academy – DMSF Class of 2027