• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Creating a full and authentic life

  • Gratitude Practice
    • 30 Day Gratitude Challenge
    • Gratitude Experiment
    • 365 Journal Prompts
  • Tools
  • Blog
  • About

A Letter to My 20-Year Old Self

June 12, 2017 By Marina Alteza 1 Comment

Dear Marina,

At 20 you know very little about life yet you sense that there is something much more to what your five senses are telling you.

What you perceive is an illusion, but you don’t know that yet.

Dig deeper for you will find the truth.

Table of Contents

  • Authenticity
  • Relationships
  • Life Purpose
  • Adversity
  • Fears

Authenticity

I see that you are already weaving your mask. The mask that you think the world wants to see. But that is not who you are.

Put the needle and thread down, they are not necessary. For the mask will serve no purpose but to hide the real you.

Stand naked in front of the mirror and see your beauty.

Stand naked in front of others and let them see your magnificence.

Stand naked in front of God and be grateful.

Relationships

You will meet many people. Some will be in your life 20 years from now, but most will come and go.

Relationships will offer the greatest lessons, especially the ones you hurt and hurt you.

People serve as mirrors into your soul. What you dislike most about your partner is what you dislike most about yourself. Use that as a guide to purify your heart.

Change your thoughts to love, instead of molding the other person to how they should be according to your ego. Apply the latter and it will be a fruitless effort.

Life Purpose

Through decades, you will continue to ask your purpose in life but you’re searching for answers in the wrong places.

The answer is not out there. It’s not in the farthest corner of the world, even though you’ll soon discover your love for travel.

And it’s definitely not in your lover or anyone else for that matter.

The answer is not without but within.

You also ask the wrong questions.

Ask from your true self, your spirit, and your consciousness, not from your ego.

Ask from stillness, and the search will cease.

Ego questions like what can I get out of life or how much money can I make or how can I get the biggest house or how can I attract a handsome partner will receive ego answers.

Instead ask: how can I serve others in the best of my ability?

When you ask this question genuinely you are aligning your purpose with the Universe.

You are allowing the Universe instead of the ego to lead the way. From here on, all that is required of you is to be alert and be open to receive.

Adversity

At 20 you have felt little pain. Yet you want inner peace. There is a darkness deep within that taints your experience. Your ego has got a grip on you from an early age, and it will continue its choke hold unless you realize that it’s illusory.

The darkness in you is where your ego likes to loiter. Your ego doesn’t want any light shone upon it, as darkness is its home.

Love is the light. Open the doors and windows of your heart, so that light can penetrate through, and that no crevices of your being shall remain dim.

As you get older you will reach mountains but you will also traverse many valleys. There will be days where trekking these valleys will seem like a punishment without end.

Although you might not understand it now, but the trying times will be the greatest gifts more valuable than gold.

These are the times when answers will be presented. But you will need to open your heart in order for you to receive them.

Shut your heart and your ego strengthens its grip.

Fears

At an early age, you already have many fears. Fears are the domain of the ego.

These fears will make you stay up at night and they will bring you to tears.

Fears will keep you in the past and the future, but not in the now where your ego doesn’t want you to be because it wants glory. It is selfish and powerful.

They will drive you from relationships and coerce you into them. You will cause and receive pain because of fear.

Fear will prevent you and others from seeing your magnificence. Your full potential will be stagnate because you’re afraid.

Fear will close your heart and prevent love from penetrating within you and without.

Fear will shut out God.

What you will realize is that fear is not real. It is a mere illusion that the ego creates to prevent you from accessing your magnificent being, your true self.

By removing the layers of pretense created out of fear, you allow your authenticity to come through and out.

Through stillness and love, you can allay your fears.

Through stillness and love, you will find the truth.

Through stillness and love, you will awaken from your dream.

Author Profile
Marina Alteza

Writer and globe wanderer, who's interests not only take her to distant corners of the world, but also to undiscovered regions of her inner Self. Proponent of the practice of mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude, the trifecta of healing and being, to transform her relationship with daily life challenges.

Other Articles by Author
  • Marina Alteza
    https://www.nolongerempty.com/author/marina/
    Ready for a 30 Day Gratitude Challenge?
  • Marina Alteza
    https://www.nolongerempty.com/author/marina/
    This Happened When I Did a Gratitude Experiment for 30 Days
  • Marina Alteza
    https://www.nolongerempty.com/author/marina/
    The Secrets of the Walking Wounded
  • Marina Alteza
    https://www.nolongerempty.com/author/marina/
    Gratitude Practice - Ultimate Guide

Filed Under: Blog, Joy, Life Purpose Unfolds Tagged With: fears, love, stillness

About Marina Alteza

Writer and globe wanderer, who's interests not only take her to distant corners of the world, but also to undiscovered regions of her inner Self. Proponent of the practice of mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude, the trifecta of healing and being, to transform her relationship with daily life challenges.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Akash says

    March 2, 2019 at 7:17 am

    Hi Marina, thanks for sharing your life lessons. Those were really helpful.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Tiny Buddha's Guide to Overcoming Hard Times

Latest Posts

This Happened When I Did a Gratitude Experiment for 30 Days

I’ve had a gratitude practice for a number of years now and I know the positive effects it has on my wellbeing. I've written about my practice on this … [Read More...] about This Happened When I Did a Gratitude Experiment for 30 Days

The Secrets of the Walking Wounded

Her laugh was a tell. She often coerced a laugh when she felt guilty, ashamed, unloved, unappreciated and unworthy. It was a ploy to cover up how she … [Read More...] about The Secrets of the Walking Wounded

97 Smart Ways to Kickstart a Healthy Mind and Body

Leading a healthy lifestyle consistently can be challenging. For the career oriented or family-centered it’s often hard to find the time to take care … [Read More...] about 97 Smart Ways to Kickstart a Healthy Mind and Body

Footer

Disclaimer

This site is not intended to provide and does not constitute medical, legal, or other professional advice. Please seek professional care if you believe you may have a condition. Before using the site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Our Blog

  • Mindfulness
  • Gratitude
  • Self-compassion
  • Love
  • Meditation
  • Self-acceptance

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • Get Free Mindfulness Tips

    Copyright © 2023 No Longer Empty.com · Privacy & Terms · Disclaimer