if only

If only I could write a letter right now to my younger self...

You will make mistakes. You will be sorry for and ashamed of them. Learn from them. Don't be ashamed. The bigger ones will help you grow and learn the very most. And boy are you going to learn a bunch! Some of those things that could be considered today to be mistakes will end up being your greatest accomplishments.

Things happen exactly when and how they should. Don't try to force or coerce things along or keep them from happening. When one relationship ends, a door opens you never even had the opportunity to see before. Just live for right now. Beginnings are the same as endings and they are inevitable.

As long as you live there will always be someone prettier, uglier, smarter, not as smart, richer, poorer, with more and with less. Be you. Learn that earlier. You'll be happier. I promise.

Don't spend too much time worrying about what will or could happen. Don't waste too much time fretting over things that fell apart. Those will turn out to be some of your biggest blessings. Allow yourself to be happy, and if you could learn that younger, you'll just be that much happier. Just live, go with things as they come and when you can't sleep turn on HGTV. It helps every time.

Don't ever "play" in cat boxes, some people will NEVER forget!

Don't use hedge trimmers that are broken when you are sleepy and for goodness sake, if someone tells you they are not good enough for you - BELIEVE them!

p.s. being 36 is pretty dang fun. Not gonna lie.