I wrote a letter to my future self and it arrived today...

Today I was reminded of why my voice matters

Today I received a letter in the post from me (sent months ago) to me, and it felt like giving myself the biggest hug. I wrote to myself about honouring my voice. Here's what I said and what I've been reflecting upon since it arrived:

To future you

You have made it to where you are now, so congrats for that. I know there have been moments when the darkness loomed over all that was light and yet, look - those glimmers of sunshine that started seeping through the cracks are now fully beaming. 

You should be proud of the things you have achieved, the amount of love you have poured into what you do, and how you show up in the world. Never feel as though you need to dim your light. 

Remember how much love you have poured into others. You deserve joy, happiness and to be loud and take up space. Your mission in life is to share with honesty and integrity. 

Continue on in your pursuit of being radically empathetic to yourself first, and then extend that outwards second. Keep shining and sharing. The world needs more of what you have to offer.

From you

I was tasked with writing this letter at the end of a recently completed course. It might feel cheesy, the act of writing a letter of encouragement to your future self, but it was a very welcome excercise and an even more welcome letter to receive. In fact, I had forgotten about it and just like that, when I needed to hear it most, it landed in my post box.

Many people know me for starting a platform encouraging people to use their voices, yet the more visible I found myself, the quieter mine became. For a good few years, I existed in a heightened state of anxiety, fuelled by frequent panic attacks - terrified of articulating how I felt, terrified of representing the communities I belong to in the wrong way or at least in a way that not everyone would be happy with. And so, I remained silent, allowing the pressure I felt to deliver the version of myself that existed in the minds of others to take away from my potential to be happy. This ties into my first newsletter about wanting to be more cat. I've now been on a journey and know that the only thing I can be is myself. The words of affirmation in my letter speak to the journey I have been on up until this point.