The Diary Entry Your 16-Year-Old Self Would Write About Your Current Problems

Dear Future Me...

Okay, so this is wild. I don’t know how I’m doing this, but somehow I’ve gotten a peek into your life now. You’re me—just older. Thirty-something, maybe? That’s... crazy. You have your own place, a job, maybe a cat? I always wanted a cat. But that’s not what I’m writing about. I want to talk about the things that seem to be weighing you down right now.

I know you're dealing with stress. Like, serious stress. Not the 'I forgot my locker combo' kind—but work deadlines, finances, people expecting too much from you. Grown-up stuff. But I just want to say this, from a younger version of you who still writes poetry in her notebook margins and thinks love songs are magic: You're doing better than you think.

You Still Don’t Feel “There,” Do You?

You always thought by now, you'd have it all figured out. Like one day you'd wake up and just know how to be a functioning adult who drinks green smoothies and files her taxes early. But now I see... that never really happens. You’re still figuring it out—and that’s okay.

If it helps, I never expected you to have it all together. I just hoped you wouldn’t forget how to dance in your room to Avril Lavigne at 1AM. That you'd still cry at movies, still write, still believe that your dreams were valid even if they didn't show up the way you imagined.

Why Are You So Hard on Yourself?

You always had this pressure to be 'the good girl'—to do well, make everyone proud, not mess up. But it’s okay to be soft. It’s okay to mess up. I wish you’d give yourself a break. You don’t have to be strong all the time.

Also, what’s with the comparison game? Why are you looking at other women’s Instagram feeds like their success subtracts from your worth? Please stop. You're not behind. You're just on your own timeline.

Love Isn’t What You Thought

So... heartbreak? Yeah, I kind of saw that coming. I mean, we always wanted someone who saw our soul, right? But it turns out love isn’t just poetry and stolen glances—it’s grocery shopping, hard conversations, and learning how to hold space for someone else and yourself.

If you're lonely sometimes, that’s okay too. Being alone doesn’t mean you’re unlovable. It means you’re becoming the kind of woman who doesn’t settle—and that’s brave as hell.

Your Body, Your Reflection

I saw that look you gave yourself in the mirror. Stop it. You’re beautiful. Maybe not in the way magazines taught us to define it, but in the way your friends feel safe around you. In the way you laugh without holding back. In the way you’ve survived things 16-year-old me couldn’t have imagined yet.

Wear the outfit. Eat the cake. Go to the beach. You’re allowed to take up space.

You Still Have Magic in You

Life didn’t turn out exactly like we pictured—and maybe that’s the point. Because some of the best parts? You never saw them coming. The friend who feels like a sister. That random afternoon you laughed so hard you snorted. The way you’re still standing, even when life felt like too much.

You're not lost. You're growing. You're a mosaic of every version of us—and I’m proud of you for still believing in better days.

Final Thoughts from Your Younger Self

So here’s what I hope you remember: You don’t have to be perfect to be loved. You don’t have to be fearless to move forward. You don’t have to be anyone but exactly who you are right now—and that is enough.

Keep your head up. Keep your heart open. Keep writing. I believe in you—because I always have.