“Be careful with your words, once they are said, they can only be forgiven, not forgotten. ” ~Carl Sandburg
The art of communication is not mastered by just knowing what to say and how to say it.
A big factor is knowing when to say it. So often people sit back and say nothing when something really needs to be said. It could be an idea, a suggestion, an observation, a criticism…but for some reason they don’t want to speak up.
They may be afraid of hurting another person, looking mean or foolish, or opening a can of worms that will make a mess in everyone’s lives. Sometimes it seems like staying silent is the wiser choice. But here are five reasons why despite the risk, standing up and saying your peace is best…
source: 5 Reasons You Should Speak Up [Inc. Magazine]
- Review your THREE goals for this week. {If you haven’t set any goals yet, set ONE Goal right now to accomplish by Sunday afternoon.}
- Take action to move a goal to at least 50 percent complete. You can earn pride and satisfaction of achievement.
- In the comments below, write an encouraging letter to yourself starting with, “Dear Me,”
BONUS: The Power of Words | Taylor Bertolini | TEDxNSU
Dear Future Me,
You are kind, generous & reliable. You’re smarter than me, but I want to remind you that you’re going to make mistakes & you should use them as stepping stones to reach higher heights. You will face tougher situations than I have but you can handle it.
I’ve done what I can to set you up to succeed more than I have. I know you’re counting on me to do the best that I can as I’ll also be counting on you. It’s like we are running a relay race, together we are a force! Can’t wait to see what you do with our life.
Stay humble, enjoy the journey,
I love you.
I love the idea of writing a letter to the future me. I need to write this as I have enjoyed a lot, been tremendously blessed and immeasurably thankful.
The article for today stirred up the courage to not allow silence to be a defense mechanism-the changes that need to be made will not be made if they stay in my head.
I promise myself that I will write that letter to myself. Although I don’t normally write my goals ( will change that) I am proud to say that I have been working on all of the things I decided HAD to be done, have accomplished 75% of those and have my sights set on the next set
Thanks so much for this platform!
I believe I can believe that many of us needed this more than we knew!
Love you cousin!!!!
Thank you! 👃
You are {and have ALWAYS been} so kind! I appreciate you!
That’s a great point about speaking up taking courage – I want everyone to value their voice & let it be heard when they can add to a situation. Another way to make things 1% better..
I’m glad you are in the tribe because if YOU don’t write your goal & accomplish SO much, wait until you see how your impact multiplies from writing & reviewing a few simple goals! It has a way of boosting you forward so you can see things achieve more with less.
I hope you share that letter to future you here when you write it {or at least part of it} but it seems like you could have shifted a couple of things around with what you just wrote & slapped “Dear Me” at the top!! 😂
Dear Future Me,
I hope you are happy and well. I hope you still have that same enthusiasm and drive to become better everyday. I know you have grown as a person and still have your goals and visions you want for yourself. Just remember that no matter the changes and shifts in your life or the setbacks and obstacles you will face, always keep going and chase your dreams. Times will get tough but I know you and I know you will be stronger on the other side. Stay determined and disciplined. Enjoy the little moments and cherish the time with your friends and family because time flies.
Love,
Past Me
That’s really nice Anisha! I’m sure Future You will appreciate it. 👍
What a sweet letter Anisha! Great mentality to have.
Dear future me, I know that you have accomplished your goals and you should be proud. You are harder working than me right now, and you have now finished your schedule for everyday. You are more on task than I am and you are smarter and hopefully taller as well. You are my next stepping stone towards my goals, and I am proud that you finished your weekly goals. Make sure to use this as motivation that you can do better, and that if you have already finished these goals, let’s make some new ones and smash them!
Sincerely, your 4 day younger and inferior version of yourself.
Good stuff! But, one question: just 4 days older, Sidd? You think you’ll that different in 4 days? 🤔
Deep.
Dear Me,
Remember to use your words to be kind to others, take the extra step out of your comfort zone to both confront conversations you may feel easier to avoid, and to reach out by providing a hand to a friend if needed. Remember that even if it feels difficult to voice your opinions and be honest with your peers, it is important to speak in the interest of both yourself and those around you. You’re doing great, keep it up!
Dear Me,
Congrats, on making it this far you have a lot to be grateful for! You have had some challenges some wins and losses and here you are! Things didn’t always turn out the way you planned but things are still pretty sweet. There will be more challenges wins and losses to come and you can handle it. I want to remind you of somethings. Do not settle. Do not compromise on personal standards and morals. Improve everyday do that things you know you should do especially if its going make you uncomfortable. Continue to: have attitude positive, be open minded, be humble, be confident and brave.
Work hard, work smart!!!
Stay focused!!!
ALWAYS have a GREAT time!!!
Thanks
I love how you said “Work hard, work smart,” contrary to many people saying “Work smart, not hard.” You can get far by working smart, but you can get so much farther by working both smart AND hard. That is something we should all remember, including me.
Dear future me:
Make sure you work hard. I will not always be here to send you letters (unless you continue writing letters to yourself; I would advise that, it will give you motivation). Always give your 43892475892347589237458744584792578437592834% effort, because knowing you, you’ll decide to only do 100%. So stop reading this letter, and go do the work that I know you aren’t doing 👀
From,
You.
P.S. Knowing you, you laughed looking back at this letter!
Dear Future Me,
You are strong, confident, and caring. You always try to find the positive side of a situation and you smile often. You work hard and continue to improve yourself daily. Remember to enjoy the journey and look up at the bigger picture. Time flies so spend it with those who matter. Be grateful and be present.
I believe in us. Always.
Dear me,
You are enough. You are strong, beautiful, and brave. Don’t let your dreams scare you, go out there and make them a reality. Btw, if the dream doesn’t scare you, you are not dreaming big enough. Also remember though to take time for yourself and take care of your self. Finally, don’t let somebody’s small mind, insecurities, or shortcomings discourage. That’s their problem not yours.
Love me
Dear me,
If you are reading this letter, it means you probably need some motivation. If nothing else, I am glad that you remembered about this letter. I hope you are prepare for your first year in high school, but knowing me, you probably aren’t. Here are some important things to remember as you head into high school:
I know that you will probably try to shirk off a bit, just like I used to do. However, the hard work you do will pay off, and slacking off even once can set a dangerous precedent for yourself, which is that you can just choose to not work on hard days. It is important to remember that while you may have that choice, doing so will negatively impact your future. So please focus and try your best.
Sincerely, the 9-month younger Vishnu Sharma