There had been a lot of mistakes

Everyone has done things in their earlier years that they feel regret of, and this is entirely normal, as no one understands how the world works until they're faced with the sight of failure. In my case, my teenage years were filled with a lot of self loathing, resentment and the avoidance of social interactions to instead play video games and indulge in all kinds of vices. However, I've learned from those mistakes and I have gone a long way since those days. That's why basing myself on the things that experience has taught me in this article I will talk about the things I would tell to my younger self and people that find themselves commiting the same mistakes. Let's begin:

1.- You're the only one responsible for what happens to you.

I was in a tight situation when It came to money in the past, my parents had to work hard constantly and seek new routes all to put food in the table, and I was only blaming them for not being able to provide my needs without moving a finger. However, one thing that I've acquired since those years through work and hardship is to recognize that you might not entirely be at fault for something, though still you are responsible of how you deal with It. That's why if you think you're not accountable for what happened to you because It wasn't a consequence of your actions, think twice because It will only get worse If you don't get the reins of It.

2.- Study to Learn, not to seek good grades

One thing which I felt proud of when I was in high school were my grades, being the first place in my class, something which my professors and classmates acknowledged and encouraged, and which i felt too identified with, to the point of getting sad and nervous for not getting the perfect score in any test. It wasn't that my parents were judgemental or critical of my performance, though that I felt genuine fear of letting everyone down and not being recognized as "the smartest in the classroom". However, when I went to college I realized something as I failed my first test, that It wasn't the end of the world. Since that point I began to focus more on learning than any number on a piece of paper, thing which at the end of the day made me acquire much more knowledge. If you find yourself going through the same thing, I encourage you to not think that everyone will stop liking you because of a little slip and that those who are constantly seeking the top spot have a lot of insecurities themselves.

3.- Freedom comes with pain

The biggest thing that held me back of doing the things that I loved was the fear of pain, whether in the form of being rejected or judged for doing something different or of the stress and boredom associated with the process of learning something new, something which I wasn't initially good at first. As I began to take the habit of reading, I stumbled upon a great book which I still consider my favorite to this day: The War Of Art By Steven Springfield, which taught me about the concept of resistance, that voice in your head constantly making you put up excuses and feeding you with words of indulgence so you can deviate from your higher self. After reading It I began recognizing all the behaviors I was implementing to avoid doing the necessary work to improve, and since that day I began changing for the better, little by little. I began exercising, writing, producing and taking my profession more seriously, thought this wouldn't have happened without knowing about the machinations of resistance in my mind. If I had a conversation with my past self, the first thing I would tell him is to recognize that the real satisfaction and freedom comes with pain and sacrifice, and the key to reaching that without fear is to ignore that voice in your head that tells you not to do It.

I hope that this article, even If a little personal, could have been of use to you, encouraging you to think about the many words of advice you would give yourself If you could talk to the person you were, and in this way making you reflect about how much things had changed since then. Thank you for your support and good luck!