To the Girls I was before.

To the girls I was before:

To the 12 year-old girl, sitting in that dance class, feeling you absolutely can not wear a two-piece dance costume unless you start a diet: IGNORE THOSE ASSUMPTIONS. Confidence above all is the key to rocking an outfit, not the physical appearance of your body. And restrictive diets are not good for anyone – especially a young girl who is still growing.

To the middle school girl who wonders why the boys don’t like her, who thinks that mean she isn’t good enough: YOUR WORTH IS NOT DEFINED BY OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINIONS. (Not to mention – you’re in middle school, girl! Boys at this point are just that – BOYS! Don’t stress over relationships right now; you’ll have countless years ahead of you to be in/out of relationships if you choose).

To the high school athlete who never makes the first string, who is always "good" but not "great": don’t give up. Just because you aren’t the best, or maybe that one coach doesn’t see your skills or potential, does not mean you don’t have talent or cannot grow in your sport. If this means something to you and is something you enjoy, continue to push yourself for YOU. Hard work and effort can go a long way. And remember: no matter how good you are (or that MVP on your team is) – there is ALWAYS someone better. Change your focus from trying to be the ‘best’ to trying to become YOUR best, and you will have a much higher chance of success.

To the teenage girl who ‘hates’ her parents, constantly fighting with them and waiting anxiously for the day that she can live on her own: you will miss these days one day. Cliché as it sounds, you will miss it. And one day, you’ll appreciate all they’ve done for you – it is so much more than providing food and a roof over your head. They are sacrificing so much to give you the best life, setting you up for success, and, in your case, keeping you from starving yourself to death. Trust me, your future might not even exist without the rules they have in place right now.

To the girl who discreetly hides the scars on her wrists, scars created as a last alternative to release the pain she felt inside; when she just wanted to bleed on the outside the way she did on the inside: this is not a solution. This does not solve your problems. Those emotions you feel - it is ok to feel them. It is ok to express them - but find another way. You will overcome this.

To the college student who feels alone, wondering why things aren't falling into the place the way she always imagined: you have more people than you realize - turn to them. And focus on your physical and mental health - those need to come first, because without that, you will never fully experience the life or opportunities around you. A perfect GPA is not worth throwing away the possible college memories you could create.

To the new college graduate, moving to a brand new city all alone, far away from family and friends: It will take time to adjust, to build out a whole new life for yourself. Give yourself that time. The transition period will not last forever, but it does not happen overnight.

To the entry-level employee, who feels like she has no idea what she is doing and feels like a misfit in this corporate world: half of these people, if not more, feel like they "don't know what they're doing" - and some of them have been here for YEARS. Nobody knows it all. Just take any opportunity you have to keep learning, keep growing, and you'll find success (but will probably still feel like you have no clue what you're doing at times).

To the girl in her early 20s, again just trying to make it in the business world while secretly fighting for recovery from an eating disorder behind closed doors; who hears coworkers judging her as "weird" because of her eating habits or because she is not as social, even telling her friend "why would you go to Europe with Emily?? Why would you be friends with her?": They judge because they do not know. And that is their problem, not yours. You do you. You keep going. Fight for your health, fight for getting your life back, and keep working hard, and things will fall into place. Ignore those that make comments because they do not know or even try to understand.

To the avid traveler, who books trips often but still struggles with both spending so much money as well as leaving her comfort zone: TRAVEL IS ALWAYS A GOOD ANSWER. If your fear is what holds you back, GO. If you can set aside money for anything, use it for experiences over physical objects. You will be so glad you did. There is so much out there to see and experience, but you will never know unless you take that risk and seize every opportunity to adventure.

To yesterday’s/last month's me, who feels she's been eating way too many "extras" and is overwhelmed with guilt and self-hatred; whose jeans feel a little bit tighter and make you hate yourself even more: it will be ok. You are ok. It is just food. They are just pieces of clothing. This does not make you a "failure". Don't let self-hatred consume you, or ruin your every day - it is not worth losing yourself over a pair of jeans or a number on a scale. There are far better ways to spend your time than hating yourself.

To today’s me: Look around you. Look at where you're at and how far you've come. Take the strength you have built up, and use that to grow even more and go even further. You've survived so many tough times: so if today is tough, you can get through that too. You've experienced so many highs - and there will be so many more, so appreciate them fully.

And lastly, to future me: Please, please, please do not let your past define you or hold you back. Learn from it, let it mold you to be better, but do not let past ‘mistakes’ or regrets weigh you down. Live in the moment and seize every opportunity. Take the risk. Do the uncomfortable. Time will fly before you know it – this is your one chance at life.