Lessons I had to live to learn — but maybe you don’t have to.

If I could sit across from my younger self — wild-hearted, trying to fit in, searching for meaning in all the wrong places — I’d hold her hands and say this:

Stay out of the tanning beds.

You are already radiant. That glow you’re chasing? It’s inside you, not under fluorescent bulbs or artificial rays. Sun-kissed is beautiful, but not at the cost of your future skin health. 

Stop eating seed oils.

Seriously. Your hormones, your skin, your energy — they’re all begging you to cut that toxic stuff out. Cook with real fats: grass-fed butter, ghee, coconut oil, olive oil. Stop eating crappy food.  Your body knows the difference. 

Don’t smoke.

Even if it’s “just social.” It’s not cool, it’s not harmless, you most definitely do not look cute and it’s not worth the long-term price. Your lungs, your skin, your energy — you’ll thank yourself later. 

There is so much more to life than alcohol.

You don’t need to numb, impress, or escape. The right people will sit with you fully present, fully sober, and fully whole. You are allowed to enjoy life without a glass in hand. 

Don’t settle.

Not in love. Not in friendships. Not in where you live. Not in the career you choose or the way you spend your time. There is more out there for you — more joy, more beauty, more depth. Wait for it. Build it. Call it in.

Love your parents.

Truly love them. Call them. Hug them. Ask them more questions. Listen to their advice, they know best.  They won’t be here forever, and one day you’ll wish you had just one more ordinary moment. 

Get into nature as often as possible.

Take your shoes off. Let the sun hit your face. Watch the clouds. Breathe fresh air. It’s not just good for you — it is you. Stay the hell out of the cities, the noise, the chaos. Your nervous system craves stillness. 

Find your hobbies earlier.

Hike, forage, write, garden. Don’t wait until life gets heavy to remember what lights you up. Your joy is medicine. 

Plant a garden.

Even if it’s just herbs in a window box. There’s something sacred in watching something you nurtured grow. Food, flowers, medicine — it connects you to the Earth and to yourself.

Avoid chemicals like your life depends on it — because it does.

Read the labels. Ditch the fragrance. Switch to natural. Your skin, your hormones, your future babies — they need you to pay attention. You don’t need toxins to feel beautiful or clean.

Honor your body.

Move your body, stretch it, breathe into it, listen to it. It’s your one home for this entire life — treat it with the same love and attention you give to people you care about. Nourish it with real food, hydrate it, rest it, and speak kindly to it. You don’t need to shrink it or perfect it. Just come home to it. Respect it.

There is more to life than vanity.

Your soul matters more than your selfies. The world doesn’t need another perfect image — it needs your realness, your wisdom, your heart. Pour your energy into who you are, not just how you appear.

Choose your friends wisely.

Protect your peace. Don’t get caught up in drama that won’t matter in five years — or even five weeks. The people worth keeping are the ones who make you feel safe, seen, and like yourself.

Be yourself — no matter what.

Please don’t dim to fit in. Don’t let anyone tell you who to be. The people who are worth your love will love you just as you are. The rest? Let them go.

Save your money.

Stop buying crap you don’t need to impress people who don’t matter. Save for land, for a home, for freedom. One day you’ll want roots — plant them wisely.

Manifest boldly.

You are allowed to want what you want. Don’t apologize for dreaming big. Just don’t sit back and wait — take aligned action. Journal it. Pray it. Move like it’s already yours.

Walk away when something doesn’t feel right. 

It’s perfectly okay to walk away.

If a situation doesn’t feel good — even if you can’t explain why — you’re allowed to leave. You don’t owe anyone a version of yourself that’s uncomfortable just to keep them comfortable. Sometimes choosing yourself means hurting others. That’s okay. Your peace is worth protecting.

And lastly… trust yourself.

Your intuition is divine. She will whisper when something isn’t right. Listen to her. She knows. 

If I could talk to my younger self I would tell her that she is worthy and stronger than she will ever know.  She will go through so many highs and so many lows but she will find herself one day and never look back.