TMYS - Jojo's Letter

Happy Monday everyone! Today I'll kick off the To My Younger Self event by sharing my own letter. Keep posted throughout the week for letters written by my readers. It's never too late to participate (Sandy, Kimmy?), please help out the compilation by submitting. Get details HERE. Send it to jojo@buddhabelle.com! Enjoy.


Dear Young Jojo,

I thought this was going to be easy to write…but I don’t know, thought by thought it’s proving to be harder than I thought. What do I tell the girl that used to be me, in many ways the person that is still very much me?

I had many friends that hurt me and very few that stayed for the long run. New ones came along but we are always alone in this world, no matter how many loved ones we have. The one thing that we can learn to make our lives easier is to face this fact and be comfortable while we ARE by ourselves. Many mistakes are made when we search for those people that we think will fulfill us, that will accompany us in life, to guide us and cry with us. Most of the time, the people we find, they take advantage of this vulnerability and abuse it. That’s naivete, my friend…we are alone inside and no one can join us. But that’s ok.

You should be braver on occasions. You should stand up for yourself and not let the wrong people put you down. The shame you feel is something that never goes away, it becomes a scar…no, a secret that you don’t want to reveal. Stupid girls bullying you, careless boys breaking your heart, friends betraying, and family disappointing…it all happens I suppose, but you will learn from this and move on.

The phrase that “money makes the world go round” is absolutely true, no matter how IDEALISTIC you want to be…you should learn that materialism gets old quickly and you should not try to keep up with Mrs. Jones. Jojo – save money when you have the chance! Money will never fulfill the happiness that other things can provide but is important in keeping you comfortable.

Not till this day do I feel comfortable with my body…I guess I may have low self-esteem as people say, but when I was younger, it would have been easier to nip it in the bud. Maybe if I was writing this letter to myself when I’m 80, I would have told myself, “You silly goose!!! Waste that energy somewhere else.” That somewhere else is learning from early on to be “healthy” and eating clean. I know you think that cuisine is one of the pleasures of life – but, my dear, overindulgence will get your ass fat, period.

You have many faults and realizing them will be a humbling experience. No matter what age you are, it IS never too late to try to correct them. Don’t be jealous of your future husband all the time, don’t be insecure…it is hard but LOVE comes to a full circle only with trust. Know that in the future, you’ll be wise enough to choose the prince over all the frogs and have beautiful children…you will find out your true calling in life.

Keep pursuing your dream of helping people - that is what matters in this life, being happy yourself and helping your fellow man. Don't slack off in school, you'll miss it later - yea, sounds ridiculous but you will. Keep reading, learning, nothing puts us down more than being ignorant. Life is progress with each and every day – keep up! Lastly, keep your friends close and love your family, even through their mistakes. Don’t be afraid to try new things and raise your children right – they are a reflection of you.