Dear Younger Self,
There’s some things you need to know. You’re always going to be trying something new. It’s going to be uncomfortable, but you’re a Scorpio, who’s the queen of transformation. Although this process isn’t always easy, you need to remember that after death comes rebirth like a phoenix rising from the ashes. So, if things are currently shitty, eventually they won’t be.
One of the benefits of trying new things is you’ve become a very calculated risk taker. It’s one of the beautiful things about you. However, not all risks are going to make strategic, logical sense. I’m not saying to jump blindly into the fire, although you can. You’ll survive, but it won’t be pretty. I’m saying that there’s more than one type of risk. And you’re more comfortable taking certain types of risks than others like:
Career Risk: One that you’re comfortable investing in. You’ll go to school a million times. You’ll get a million degrees, certifications, licences, all the things. You’ve got many interests, and they’ll change. There’s nothing wrong with that. You’re just different. That’s a good thing. Just remember that it’s going to be okay.
The next type of risk isn’t so much about your discomfort with. It has more to do with changing your relationship to:
Financial Risk: You’re good with money. You’re a manifesting generator, so you can work your ass off if need be. But, your goal is to develop a healthy, co-creative relationship with money. Why? Because money is a good thing. It doesn’t make you bad. Money gives you options. Options give you freedom. You like freedom. So become best friends with money.
Taking the next type of risk teaches you a difficult lesson that you’ve probably learned a few times. In case you need reminding, this one isn’t worth messing with:
Health Risk: Your body is your friend. The two of you are on the same team. Listen to your body. It’s trying to communicate with you, so pay attention. Your body will win, meaning it will literally force you to stop in your tracks. Don’t let it get to that point. Listen.
Finally, this risk is the hardest for you to take because the return on investment isn’t as tangible as a successful career or financial risk. However, it’ll enhance the quality of your life, and eventually it’ll trickle into other aspects of your life like your career, finances, health, relationships, etc. That’s:
Personal Development Risk: Invest in yourself. Invest in your future self. I’m talking about learning how to get in touch with your gut, authentic wisdom, power, whatever you want to call it because it’s the most valuable tool to have in your tool kit. However, that’s easier said than done. You won’t be able to just listen to your gut unless you’ve done some inner work to actually be able to hear it and trust it. That’s where taking a risk that’s not necessarily strategic or logical comes in. If you have the courage to take this type of risk, you’ll learn that your power is magical, and it’s needed in the world.
There are so many more types of risks. There are so many more lessons for you to learn about taking risks. But, don’t forget that it’s not all about taking the risk.
There are equally as many lessons to learn in stagnation. Slowing down and being stuck is hard AF for you. Why? It’s probably because you’ve been culturally conditioned to feel the need to always be productive and doing something. And that something is everything and anything besides what you really need to do, which is feel your feelings. You’ll resist feeling them by trying to numb out, which is a perfectly okay way to deal with things sometimes. But, you can’t avoid them forever.
Once you’ve got the space and capacity to dig into the resistance, you might encounter fear. Fear isn’t the funnest emotion to deal with, but facing it is what actually prepares you to take any risk. Why? Because in facing your fear, you’re forced to walk through the fire. What you’ll discover is that you won’t die, and it’s not as scary as you thought it’d be. So when the next time comes to take a risk, you won’t be running blindly through the fire. Instead, you’ll be equipped to handle whatever comes at you because you’ll already know that you’re a phoenix, who can rise from the ashes.
Besos,
Older Self
This was an assignment I did for Northwestern Mutual’s Women in Tech program. It was fun thinking about advice I’d give to my younger self as well as hear the advice that the other women in the group would give to their younger selves. If you have any advice you’d give to your younger self and want to share it, I’d love to hear it!