The piece of advice I would give my past self by Larissa

The piece of advice I would give my past self by Larissa - July 2025 Scholarship Essay

If I could give my past self advice, I would tell myself a straightforward thing; “This too shall pass.”
Over the years, I learned that life is full of lessons and experiences that we learn from only through mistakes and challenges.
When I was younger, I spent so much time trying to be perfect, to hit specific goals by certain timeframes. Although setting goals for oneself is a good thing and gives one the needed motivation to look forward to a bright future, I wish I had reminded myself that it is ok to give it my all and still not get the desired result. The most important thing was to give myself the grace to learn from it and use the lesson as fuel for future challenges.
At certain moments, I found myself worrying about things that meant very little now but seemed so gigantic at the time. I would panic over situations or problems that seemed like they may never have an end or solution. Truth is, all it takes is stopping for a minute to take a deep breath, clear one’s mind, and think of the best course of action. Worrying and panicking only emphasize the problem.
I would remind my younger self to be patient and give myself some grace and compassion.
I would also tell my younger self to embrace the uncertainty of the future ahead. Life is full of surprises, twists and turns. No matter what it may throw at me, having an open mind and heart full of faith and gratitude has made these turns more straightforward to navigate. As a Christian, I have now found peace in knowing that no matter what may come at me, I have faith that it will all work out in my favor. The good, the bad, and the ugly are all part of a bigger picture. This in itself is something I wish I had practiced more intensely in the past.