If I could go back to when I was 15, I think I’d sit myself down and have a brutally honest conversation. Not the sugar-coated kind adults sometimes give teenagers, but the kind that makes you pause and actually listen. Because truthfully, there were a few things I really needed to hear back then.
all the photos in this post are mine
First, I’d give myself a serious warning about trying too hard to fit in. I spent way too much time molding myself into what I thought other people wanted me to be. Whether it was dressing a certain way, pretending to like music I didn’t care for, or keeping quiet just to stay out of conflict, it drained me. I’d tell 15-year-old me that trying to be liked by everyone is a losing game. People-pleasing will only blur your identity and leave you feeling empty. The people who really matter will accept you for who you are, not who you pretend to be.
I’d also warn myself about procrastination. Back then, I convinced myself that I worked best under pressure, but looking back, that was just a convenient excuse. I underestimated how much stress and missed opportunity procrastination would cost me later on. I’d tell myself that discipline isn’t about being strict, it’s about being kind to your future self.
But beyond warnings, I’d also give myself some advice. The biggest one? Be patient with yourself. At 15, it’s easy to feel like you’re supposed to have everything figured out. What you want to be, who you want to love, how you’re supposed to act. But that pressure to have all the answers only leads to confusion. Growth isn’t linear. Life doesn’t follow a neat timeline. I’d remind myself that it’s okay to change your mind, to stumble, to start over.
And lastly, I’d say this: pay attention to the little things. Those small moments, like the way your friends laugh at inside jokes, or how your parents wait up just to say goodnight, those are the things you’ll look back on one day and miss more than you realize. Don’t rush through them chasing the next big thing.
If I could go back, I wouldn’t try to rewrite my story. But I would give younger me a bit more courage, a lot more self-respect, and the reminder that it’s okay not to have it all figured out. Because none of us really do. And that’s perfectly fine.