Life Lessons Learned | Words To My Younger Self

So I have been trying to think of a post to follow up my last one about our adoption but I honestly don't think I will ever be able write one that will top it or even be equal!  I had so many comments on my Facebook page about being an inspirational and strong individual.  The warmth and responses I received really touched my heart.  It was an amazing feeling to have several people share with me that I had motivated & inspired them to think more positively about their lives.  Those responses helped shape this next blog post. 

I have been reflecting quite a bit about what I've gone through to get to where I am now. What better way to recap some of the more difficult & successful times in my life than to share with you words that I would tell my younger self?  Some words are of encouragement, others are of advice & hints of wisdom I've gained with years passing.  Hindsight is truly 20/20.

Dearest Brittany,

I want to start out by saying, " Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think."  You will frequently sell yourself short on how much of a great person you are and will become.  The amount of pressure you put on yourself to succeed is more than anyone ever asks of you.  You will encounter so many situations in the next 10 years that will help shape you into a strong, passionate and caring person.  You will experience hurt, joy, pain, triumph and failure.  But, without having gone through them, you wouldn't be as wise as you are at 26 years of age.

As a 16 year old girl, you will face difficulties that most teenagers do.  There will be peers that are rude.  They will make you feel inferior to them because you haven't developed or blossomed like they have.  Be thankful for this!  While the rest of the girls are dealing with acne and their periods, you have beautiful & flawless skin and never have to worry about leaking (gross!).  You don't have breasts or hips to get in your way of running a rocking 5:20 minute mile and breaking school records.  Those inconveniences of being a teenage will not stop you from going to State in Cross-country or Track & Field either!

At 17 you will lose your coach, mentor & close friend to suicide.  You will be hurt beyond belief!  You will not understand why such an amazing person had to be taken from your life.  You will be one person in a whole community who grieves for the loss of Mark.  You will never connect with any other coach in your running career quite like the way you did with him.  He was a truly special man that you will think of frequently throughout your entire life.  You will pray for him, shed tears from time to time and you will have photos of him in a remembrance book at your wedding.  Death is hard.  Time will help heal but it is definitely hard.

Throughout high school you will experience the politics that come along with going to a small school.  You are looked at as the farmer's daughter.  You are not going to be a part of the "popular" crowd.  You will wish so hard to be one of them but be thankful that you're not!  You are able to be friends with all types of people and are not pegged in one particular clique.  One thing you should do though is stand up for yourself!  So often you sit back and let others treat you in ways you shouldn't let them.  Over the years you will develop the ability to stand up and say what you believe and it is an absolutely wonderful feeling! 

I know it sounds crazy but, study harder.  You are smart if you put the effort into it.  This will take you a while to figure out but by the time you graduate college, you will have made the Dean's list several semesters and be awarded the Senior Merit award.

You will be offered a scholarship to run Division I Track & Field for the University of Arkansas - Razorbacks but you will turn it down.  Don't ever feel like you regret this decision!  This will be one of those decisions that is a fork in the road and you will choose the right path.  It will lead you to so many wonderful and great things.  You will attend UW-River Falls.  You will run Track & Field and become a 7 time national qualifier.  You will go to Nationals twice and place 12th in the nation in both the 400 hurdles and the heptathlon.  You will even become a National Champion in 2008 with your fellow Lady Falcons!

You will never know what you could have made of yourself in the 2009 Track season because you become a mom instead.  You will have loved someone for 4 years when you find out he betrayed you for almost 3 of those years.  He will take you for granted and treat you less than perfect.  He will manipulate you into thinking completely ridiculous things; all the while he continues to cheat on you!  You will wise up and get strong enough to believe you deserve a better life for yourself and your unborn child.  This is when you will have hit rock bottom but the ride back up is filled with happiness, joy and new love.

Keep smiling pretty lady...life is going to hand you some real doozies but you are stronger than ever at 26 years old!

Love,
Me