This is a note from your wiser future self, to help you understand how special you are, how it’s important to trust your path, and most importantly, how to love who you are in every moment.

You will encounter kids who make fun of you and call you ugly and “The Brain.” Acknowledge that their words hurt your tender heart and then stand in front of a mirror and declare that you’re beautiful and smart and will do amazing things.

You will read Teen magazine and compare yourself to other girls and feel unworthy because you don’t have long blond hair and tan easily. Know that those things cease to matter sooner than you think. And understand that you are the only one of you in the universe, and that alone makes you very special and very worthy.

You will worry about and exert massive effort to control your appearance, other peoples’ opinions, your eating, and even the weather. Try to release this control and exchange it for faith – that everything will always be all right and work out the way it is supposed to.

You will sometimes find yourself with the in-crowd, feeling superior and judging less popular classmates just like you had been judged. Resist that urge mightily – it is a dangerous slope and will eat at your soul.

You always dutifully color within the lines and work tirelessly to make sure you, your assignments, recitals and tests are perfect. Your drive for excellence will serve you well in life. But – and this is very important – if something you do is not “perfect” it does not mean you are a failure. Let me repeat this: If something you do is not “perfect” it does not mean you are a failure.

Nonetheless, you will sometimes feel depressed and unworthy when things (and you) aren’t perfect. What you don’t know, and you won’t learn until much later, is that things are always perfect in that moment, and you are learning lessons that will strengthen you down the road.

I wish I could reach into the past and prevent you from going through any pain. I can’t, of course, and honestly, now that I have the ability to reflect, I can see clearly the most painful moments of my life were the pivot points of greatest growth. And 12-year-old self, believe with all your heart and soul that you will become an amazing young woman and adult, and you will be blessed with an incredible life.