Dear Me: A letter to my sixteen-year-old self

Dear Me age 16 Letter to myself confidence positive boys

Dear Me at 16,

Stop being scared. You are allowed to be nervous, but don’t be scared.

Nerves give you that excited adrenalin-filled feeling that fuels your determination and makes you excited.

Being scared just makes you shy away from taking chances – and that’s rubbish!

Leaving the friends you’ve known for nearly a decade is sad, but it will only make you realise who the true friends are – trust me, they will stick around. Here I am, over 8 years later and I can tell you that one friend in particular, who held your hand on that first day in year three when you were both nervous 7 year olds, has firmly stuck around.

Sure, you don’t see each other every day and dawdle on the way to swimming class or chatter non-stop in the queue for lunch, but she is there. She’s a doctor too, which makes you very proud and also makes you realise quite how exciting it is that you are both doing exactly what you said you wanted to do when you met age 7! Talk about following your dreams!

Rosie Ladkin Dear Me age 16 Letter to myself confidence positive boys
We aren’t that different really!
Me, age 16, performing in a production of the play “Noises Off”
& Me now – still a big fan of red!

You are going to a new school – and it’s ok to be nervous – but enjoy it! You are going to have so much fun.

You are going to meet so many wonderful people and have your eyes opened in so many ways.

You will, obviously, go out at the weekends – and there will, of course, be nights where you drink so much that your dad has to be called to pick you up and you throw up out of the window of his new car – but that’s part of being a teenager!

You will meet some amazing girls – who will call you after school for a gossip because you didn’t have enough time to gossip in the 3 hours of study time (plus lunch break!) you had during the day!

There will be boys – and yes, they will kiss you, and they will make you feel a million dollars so enjoy it!

There will be exams, which, though you don’t enjoy doing the work towards them, trust me, you do ok!

Dear Me age 16 Letter to myself confidence positive boys

You will become a new you. No. Not a “new” you; Just you, reinvented. You, but better than you ever imagined. This is the girl that will get into drama school. This is the girl who will go travelling to so many wonderful places. Enjoy becoming her – she’s pretty cool!

You will look back and wonder why you were ever scared, when all you should have been was nervous. Nervous leads to excited. Excited is how you deserve to feel.

So don’t be scared; be nervous, and enjoy it!

Love,

Rosie (age 24)

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24 Comments

  • Reply
    Ema Baran
    March 12, 2015 at 1:57 pm

    Wow,great post! love it

  • Reply
    em andxrson
    March 12, 2015 at 3:10 pm

    beautifully written! x

  • Reply
    Hey Rita
    March 12, 2015 at 3:20 pm

    Awww I really loved reading this and totally relate to that 16 year old girl. Minus my dad being called up to pick me up haha I'm glad he never did because I would be in so much trouble! hahaha

    Rita
    http://heyrita.co.uk

  • Reply
    nickyhalex
    March 12, 2015 at 7:38 pm

    I have no idea why, but this made me feel a bit emotional! (maybe because I feel some of it connects to me too!) So beautifully written, loved it x

  • Reply
    Jessica
    March 12, 2015 at 7:55 pm

    I love this <3 I also wrote one to myself, but the five year older me, about my expectations and dreams for the future.

  • Reply
    Iga Berry
    March 12, 2015 at 8:10 pm

    I really like advice to be nervous but not scared. I could say the same to myself. Plus I am still a big fan of red.

    If you want to check out my last post about organisation it's a click away: http://www.igaberry.com/

  • Reply
    Ain Nabila
    March 13, 2015 at 11:41 am

    i don't know why but I felt like this is the best "dear me" letter you have written. Seriously, i got a little bit emotional at the end of the post.. keep up the good work xx

    http://www.ainnabila.com

  • Reply
    Emma Hope Newitt
    March 19, 2015 at 1:43 pm

    great post, these are some of my favourite written recently! 🙂

    http://emmahopenewitt.blogspot.co.uk/
    xx

  • Reply
    kirsty ralph
    March 19, 2015 at 2:14 pm

    I love these types of post, I need to do one myself, and a future letter to myself!

    (kirstyralph.co.uk) xx

  • Reply
    YoungPhotographer
    March 21, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    That was lovely! Very meaningful and touching x
    I’ve nominated you for the Liebster award, and you can find out more here:
    http://cbechanphotography.wordpress.com/
    (If I’m correct I think you may have been nominated before and if so sorry.)
    🙂

  • Reply
    Emily Hannah
    March 23, 2015 at 10:13 pm

    I love this post! Really want to do one now both a past one and a future one x
    han // emandhan xo

  • Reply
    Phoebe
    March 30, 2015 at 9:15 pm

    Woah. Thank you so much for following me on bloglovin, this post is amazing, (as is your blog.) it even made me tear up a little, so very touching! Lots of love, Phoebe xxxx

  • Reply
    Rosie Ladkin
    July 9, 2015 at 3:40 pm

    Thank you – Glad you liked it!
    R xx

  • Reply
    Rosie Ladkin
    July 9, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    Thank you. Really glad you enjoyed it.
    R xx

  • Reply
    Rosie Ladkin
    July 9, 2015 at 3:43 pm

    So glad you liked it!
    Ha, my dad was always quite understanding, but on that one occasion he was less than thrilled! Ha!
    🙂
    R xx

  • Reply
    Rosie Ladkin
    July 9, 2015 at 3:44 pm

    Thank you so much – I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and that it connected with you. We all get sentimental about the people we used to be.
    R xx

  • Reply
    Rosie Ladkin
    July 9, 2015 at 3:45 pm

    Love that idea! I might well do something similar once I'm up to date with the versions of me from the past!
    Glad you liked it!
    Thanks,
    R xx

  • Reply
    Rosie Ladkin
    July 9, 2015 at 3:45 pm

    Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
    Red is the best colour. Chucks confidence at whatever you are doing!
    R xx

  • Reply
    Rosie Ladkin
    July 9, 2015 at 3:46 pm

    Thank you – so glad you liked it.
    I am planning some more of these over the next month or so, so do keep posted.
    R xx

  • Reply
    Rosie Ladkin
    July 9, 2015 at 3:47 pm

    Thanks – really glad you enjoyed it.
    🙂
    R xx

  • Reply
    Rosie Ladkin
    July 9, 2015 at 3:47 pm

    I really want to do a future self post – its in my plan over the next few months.
    Glad you enjoyed it.
    R xx

  • Reply
    Rosie Ladkin
    July 9, 2015 at 3:48 pm

    Thank you – so pleased you enjoyed it.
    Thanks for the nomination – I will get on that asap! Really appreciate your support!
    🙂
    R xx

  • Reply
    Rosie Ladkin
    July 9, 2015 at 3:49 pm

    I still need to do a future post – love the idea of writing to my future self and knowing I will actually read it!

    Glad you liked this post.
    R xx

  • Reply
    Rosie Ladkin
    July 9, 2015 at 3:49 pm

    Glad you liked it, and the blog. Thank you for your kind words!
    R xx

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