A Letter to my 24 Year Old Self
A letter to my younger self.
Dear Younger Heidi Lyn,
I’m so proud of you for graduating college and spending 18 months living and serving in the country of Bulgaria. Those are amazing accomplishments! You’ve done a great job so far.
Life is just beginning for you and it’s going to be a crazy ride with peaks and valleys and incredible opportunities and challenges. There are a few things I want you to keep in mind as you move forward.
#1- Your value has nothing to do with anyone else’s opinion of you (or attraction towards you).
You’ve been dreaming of love since you were a little girl. You have been excited and waiting to meet “the one” your entire life. You also tend to equate your value in the world with whether anyone wants to date you or is interested in you. Lucky you that you’ve had so many dates and interested men, but that may change. Here’s the truth: Your value isn’t dictated by anyone’s opinion of you or even your own opinion of yourself.
You are amazing! You are valuable. You are a daughter of God. Nothing and no one will change that.
The sooner you learn your own value, the sooner others around you will see it too. But whether they do or don’t is none of your business. You are awesome either way.
#2- Your life may unfold in a different order than you expected, but it doesn’t mean there is something wrong with it (or with you).
You have a plan. You want to marry your Mr. Incredible, live abroad and raise your kids traveling around the world. I understand that. It’s a great plan. But it may not be THE plan for you and may not lead to your best life. What if you live abroad and travel the world BEFORE you meet your husband?
Be flexible and open to the order of your life. You are going to love the way that it unfolds, even if it is very different than the picture in your head right now. I promise.
Please don’t think you’ve done anything wrong just because God has a few strategic modifications to make to your original plan. Trust that He knows more than you do right now. You are still as spectacular as ever and life will unfold beautifully.
#3- Don’t delay your dreams.
It’s pretty easy to say things like: I’ll travel once I’m married. I’ll wait to go back to school until after I’ve had my children. I don’t need to worry about saving money yet, I’m still young.
It’s easy to stay nice and comfy in the here and now. But if you’re waiting to go back to graduate school once your kids are in school and then you get married at 40 and don’t have kids, well, then you’ve spent a lot of time waiting unnecessarily.
If you wait to travel the world until you meet your husband, but then you get pregnant right away, how much traveling are you going to be able to do?
Life is so interesting when you’re pursuing a dream! Sit down now, write out your dreams, your goals and ideas. Just put pen to paper and scribble out what you’d love to do in your one-big-juicy life.
When have a list that sets your heart on fire, then look it over and say “which one should I start now?” What is one step you can do towards that goal today? Go do it.
Stop waiting! Just live. I promise, you’re going to love your life.
-Heidi Lyn (many years later)