A long time ago I made myself a promise to write a proud letter to my daughter where I’ll gather all my life’s wisdom, and tell her all the things I wish someone wrote to me, so here I am keeping that promise.
You don’t need a man to be happy
The world will try to tell you how you need somebody to feel complete.
They’ll try to make you feel less of a person if you don’t have a guy next to you. They tell you that your happiness and life success depends on whether a man wants you.
I’ll tell you that’s just BS. You don’t need a man to be happy.
I gave birth to you as a whole human being—you are more than enough on your own.
You are in charge of your own happiness
Your happiness is not dependent on boys’ attention or how others see you.
You’re the only one that has power over your feelings, over your life, and over your happiness. So, please, choose to be happy.
Choose to smile and to laugh and to dance and to bite your lip and to leave your hair curly and to watch the whole season of a show in a day.
Choose to walk away from toxic relationships and toxic people. I might not always be there to make you happy, but I will teach you to make yourself happy.
People are broken and might not give you the love you deserve, love them anyway
Don’t shut yourself down. Don’t push people away. Don’t be like that.
Give love unconditionally. Because when you give love without expecting anything in return, only then you can say you truly loved.
You won’t lack love because I’ll teach you to love yourself regardless whether people do it or not.
The whole world is yours
Feel free to conquer it. Whatever you feel like becoming, I got your back.
You want to be a ballerina, an astronaut, a vet, a doctor, or perhaps a singer?
You want to go cliff diving, you want to buy a motor, you want to pack your bags and travel the world?
It’s your decision and I’ll teach you that the impossible is just an option.
Beauty is there where you choose it to be seen
You don’t have to show extra skin to be noticed and to be beautiful.
Red lipstick is beautiful and you can pull it off. Sweatpants are beautiful, hoodies as well.
You can pull off that crop top. You can be prettier in sneakers than those girls that can’t walk in high heels but decide to wear them anyway.
Curly hair is amazing, straight hair is stunning.
Chubby men can be attractive as well as those tall and ‘gym body’ guys as well.
It’s the inner beauty that matters. It’s how things make you feel that matter, not what others say is beautiful. I’ll teach you to choose your own beauty.
Walk with your head up
Don’t let anything or anybody bring your down.
Don’t let anyone tell you you are not worthy.
You’ll meet a thousand bullies throughout your whole life—kindergarten, high school, workplace, at the bus station, on your loan interview—you name it.
What they tell you matters only if you believe it.
I’ll teach you not to bend your head because of them but instead, to prove them wrong.
Instead of hurting people, make them feel they matter
I’ll teach you not to be the bully.
I’ll teach you that no matter how bad a day you had, not to take it out on others.
Be the light at the end of the tunnel for others because your kind words might change someone’s life.
Don’t build walls—build roads to other people’s hearts. You never know when you’ll need the same.
It’s OK to cry
I’ll teach you not to hide your tears.
I’ll teach you not to bottle up your feelings nor to allow them to suffocate you because it’s OK to cry and it’s OK to feel.
Forget about being tough and not letting anybody come close to you. Instead of growing thick around yourself, I’ll teach you how to deal with heartbreaks.
Most men are idiots, but you will find the one that will love you the way you deserve
You’ll come to realize this yourself—men sometimes have no idea what to do with themselves let alone with you. They’re messy and they might even make a mess out of your life.
But there will be someone who’ll love you the way you deserve.
There will be somebody who will choose you and who’ll keep choosing you for the rest of his life—accept nothing less and don’t rush things. Things always fall into place eventually.
Your productivity doesn’t determine your success
I’ll teach you that it’s fine to stay home when you’re feeling down.
There will be days when you don’t feel like eating—it’s impossible to be productive on those days. It doesn’t mean you weren’t born for big things.
There will be days where you’ll give 150% of yourself and sometimes your battery will be on saver mode, but don’t ever doubt that you won’t make anything big of your life.
I believe in you and I know you will.
If you want something, go for it with your whole heart
I believe that when you truly want something, the whole universe helps you to get it.
Don’t ever believe you are unworthy or that there are things you can’t achieve.
There isn’t a single border you can’t cross, there isn’t a single human being you can’t get to, and there isn’t single weather in which you can’t survive. So just go for it!
Don’t dim your voice.
Never dim your voice—not to your mother, not to your boyfriend, friends, teachers, or bosses.
If what you’re saying is making sense, don’t let them convince you that you’re wrong.
Instead, find a way to prove to them that you’re right.
You’re allowed to fall, as long as you get up
I’ll teach you that life is full of ups and downs and that you can’t be high all the time but the great thing is that you can’t be low all the time either.
You’re allowed to have bruised knees. You’re allowed to fall off your bike, get fired, and have only $4.99 in your bank account.
Your projects will fail, there will be flights you’ll miss and people you’ll let go too easily.
It will only be forgiven if you don’t give up and you find a way to be a better version of yourself each and every day. Because, my darling, you have only one life and I’ll do my best to teach you to live it to the fullest.
Whether you’re going to do it or not, later on, will be up to you and only you.
