Dear Self,
I know that already the New Year feels strained, that its conveyor belt is broken and the only way to move forward is tiringly manual, but you have to remember to keep walking and not remain at a standstill as your contents starts to go stale.
Just like every Monday morning where you lie in bed aware that you are still here, the first day of the year will fill you with dread, cause you to pull the duvet over your head and pretend it hasn’t yet arrived. This is okay; it’s okay to feel anxious, scared, or maybe even lost. You don’t need to know all the answers to questions that have not been asked. The coming days, weeks, months are unknown, so please don’t lie there building a catastrophic narrative of the future. To do so will be a drain on your energy, causing you to spend each day waiting for a fall. Put new batteries in and instead of draining them purposelessly on standby, actively face life head on and as a result of doing so you won’t let the good opportunities and positive surprises that are coming your way pass you by.
You are an amazing, talented individual who has so much to offer the world; you have so much potential to achieve success, but you need to be the one who strikes the match, which will in turn ignite the fuse that shall set off the bright, unique explosion of colour that will light up the darkness. You can only achieve if you actively partake.
Life has been hard for you. The past has left its cuts and bruises, but as you step into the New Year with your head held high, leave those injuries to heal naturally. Don’t pick at the scabs, this will only re-open the wound and result in the creation of a scar, a constant reminder of a negative. Even without picking, some cuts will naturally leave their mark, but these are the ones that cut deep, caused the most pain; once they are healed, look upon them as positives, signs that you survived, that you continued the narrative of your life and didn’t end the story tragically. You deserve the happy ending, and all the difficulties you have faced has given you a deeper understanding of the true value of life that the majority will never see.
Every night of darkness is washed away with glorious daybreak. The light will always banish the dark to skulk in the shadows, and even at the height of night, the stars shine like small beacons of hope, reminding you to hold on that little while longer. The day is just around the corner, and when the light returns, relax and enjoy; then, like everyone else, learn to sleep through the night and let the darkness pass you by.
We are the masters of our own destiny, or so they say. I know that you don’t believe it, but even though you know that all outcomes have been preordained, don’t walk blindly towards them. Dance and sing your way forward to your own tune and tempo. Show the world that you don’t just exist, but that you are alive. Burn brightly, ignite the wicks of others around you, be a force that brings light and warmth. And if your candle should flicker out, its flame lives on in others, and will return back to you if you seek it out.
I leave you with all the hopes of your past selves. It is with their support that you will pass them on to our future selves. Never lose faith, never lose hope. You are surrounded by people who love you, and even though that number is low, the love of one is more than the world combined.
All my love,
Dom
A Letter to the Self that Lurks Just Around the Corner was published as a guest blog post on the mental health website How Am I Feeling?