We don’t need to “become” more. We need to remember more.

It’s back-to-school season. As I watch kids of all ages heading to class, I’m pulled back into that familiar first-day feeling.

I remember the annual trip to the store with my mom for new school supplies (yes, I’m a stationery fiend). I remember laying out my clothes the night before, waking up before the alarm, walking to school with a mix of nerves and excitement. That same mix still shows up for me whenever I step into something new.

Recently, Alice Thompson (check her work out at www.alice-thompson.com) asked me to write a letter to my younger self. We were exploring shadow work: bringing forgotten parts of ourselves into the light and reclaiming their wisdom.

I wasn't totally surprised by my past. Rather I was surprised by the tools I already carried: intuition, resilience, creativity, and love.

So this week ask yourself: What would you say to your younger self? You might find that what you most want to hear is what you most need to remember.

Braids of blue

In haste, my child, fifty years have flown,

Each moment a step to the truth you’ve always known.

Cherish your spirit. Tender, bright, and near.

Let it soften, let it change, dissolving every fear.

At times you may falter, wings not yet spread,

Or strive beyond measure, heart heavy with dread.

You may feel “not enough,” trembling, unsure,

Falling through shadows you’ve weathered before.

You may watch from afar, uncertain where to start,

But remember, each sky holds blue at its heart.

Open your eyes wide, dare again to believe,

Lose yourself in joy. The gift life longs to weave.

Do not hide your light. Let it shine, let it be seen.

Even when others wound you, stay open, serene.

Look deeper, reset, seek to understand,

The treasure you seek lies already in your hand.

For you are the one you’ve been searching for, true,

Whole from the start, with nothing to prove.

You’ll stitch your memories, thread love through the years,

Feel family’s warmth, its laughter and tears.

One day love’s glance will capture your soul,

A light so enduring, a story untold.

You may resist its beauty, its lessons, its song,

Yet all of you, every part, has belonged all along.

The race for “more” will not bring you peace,

Expectations will rise, and never quite cease.

But magic is hidden in surrender’s sweet call:

It’s never about having, but learning through the fall.

Grief, struggle, uncertainty, they, too, will pass,

Braids of life weaving, both fragile and vast.

Your field of dreams will shimmer with promise above,

Each sky painted with a different kind of love.

I see your quiet power, your innocence inside,

Your light, your intuition, your truest guide.

When tempted to dim it, as “too raw” or “too small,”

That’s when you must trust it most of all.

You have the tools, though you may forget,

Though voices may tell you they’re shadows at best.

The world may try shaping you, pressing its mold,

But your worth is unmeasured, more radiant than gold.

Life is not about gathering what you lack,

But remembering yourself, finding your way back.

You are not broken. No piece is apart.

You are whole, you are loved, you are heard from the start.

So gift yourself kindness, as freely as you give,

Learn to listen to feelings, and fully, deeply live.

Fear, loneliness, exhaustion. They’ll all play their part,

Not warnings to flee, but signposts to your heart.

They remind you you’re standing where thresholds gleam,

Invited to step through, to live out your dream.

Doors will open, though silent at first,

Let hope be your compass, let love quench your thirst.

Becoming yourself is a sacred, enduring art,

A song still composing, each note from your heart.

Like the music you cherish, scattered yet true,

Your melody awaits. It is rising through you.

So dance to its rhythm, rejoice in its sound,

Let it lift you, fully, let it ground.

For this is the wisdom I most want to impart: To know the world deeply, you must first know your heart.