If you had a time machine and could send just one message to your past self, what would it say?

If I had a time machine and could send just one message to my past self, I wouldn’t send a long letter.

I would send her a tight hug.

And then I would whisper, “Don’t be afraid to say NO.”

Not a hesitant no. Not a guilty no. A clear, unapologetic NO.

I know why you are scared. The first time is always frightening. You worry about disappointing people. You worry about being misunderstood. You worry about what they will think of you. But please don’t let that fear make your decisions for you.

Say no.

Say no when something doesn’t feel right. Say no when something takes you away from yourself. Say no when you are expected to sacrifice your dreams just to make other people comfortable.

And most importantly, don’t doubt yourself.

Trust yourself enough to know that your dreams deserve a place in your life. You are going to spend so much of your future searching for them, running towards them, fighting for them. So don’t abandon them now just because saying no feels difficult.

You will learn that saying no doesn’t make you selfish. Sometimes, it is the first step towards saying yes to yourself.

So, my younger self, here is the message I would send across time:

Don’t be afraid.
Say NO.
Trust yourself.
Dream bigger.
And keep flying towards the life you know you want.

And if you ever forget how much you are capable of, remember that your older self came back just to hug you and tell you:

“I believed in you all along.”