Advice for my younger self

I wrote this piece for a writing magazine; the remit was to write a letter to your younger self - what would you say to her? What advice or reassurance would you offer?  I never got anywhere with the submission - hence sharing it here, on my blog. Not that I want you to think that this is just a dumping ground for stuff that others have rejected or anything like that - oh nooooo, I’m quite circumspect about what goes on here, don’t you worry.

Anyway, it’s a very short letter (I think it had to be) but it’s succinct and, even though it’s advice to my younger self, it still stands today. It might seem a bit weird - and self-obsessed but remember that this was for a writing magazine and the onus was on giving your younger self advice that might help in their future career.

I’ve subsequently met quite a few teenagers who remind me of my younger self - cripplingly self-conscious and lacking in confidence and a sense of direction, so this is for them as well as for me. And maybe it’s for you, too...


Dear younger me,

You used to wish that you could buy bottled courage but don’t wait until it’s readily available  - just pretend! You wanted to be an actor, once upon a time, so act as if you know what you’re doing. This is going to work for you, unconsciously, anyway as loads of people, in your first proper job, are going to tell you how calm you seem.  And you know what those manuals say - Calm breeds calm. 

Write every single day, don’t wait until the moment feels right, just do it. Don’t avoid writing courses because you feel that it’s something that can’t be taught - there’s always something to learn.

You’ve got this, chum, you can do it, just try to not obsess about what other people think of you and  soldier on. You’ve just got to keep the faith. I have faith in you.


So there you have it - perhaps just a slightly extended version of ‘fake it ‘til you make it’.

HAPPY EASTER!