InklingsInsight

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I feel a little overwhelmed as this is the last letter of this series. It feels like there is still so much more I could have shared with you. Maybe I will return to this series someday, when I have grown a little more and can see the difference between who I am now and who I will become, just as I have been writing to you from your future. You know, life has never been easy for you, and even today it is not always easy for me to feel free. There are many trigger points. Sometimes, I feel like I am overreacting and that my anger is unnecessary. But at the same time, I also feel that it is justified. I had my own way of doing things, and when things do not go the way I expect, I react. Even now, I struggle to understand what is right and what is wrong. I question myself often, and it becomes difficult to find clarity. There is one thing I keep reminding myself of. I should not lose my fire while trying to fit i...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I hope you are doing well. Selflessness has always been a part of who you are, but it often led you into trouble without you even realising why. Instead of choosing yourself, you gave priority to others, even when it was not necessary. You know, you have been one of the best students of moral science. I say this because of how sincerely you learned and practiced every virtue taught in class. But while following those lessons, you forgot to choose yourself. There was never a direct lesson that told you to do so. The irony is that every value you learned started with you. Kindness begins with you. So does respect, care, and empathy. But somehow, we learn what we want to learn and miss the deeper meaning behind it. That is where we often go wrong, and the same happened with you. Instead of choosing yourself, you allowed others to take more than what was yours. I may sound repetitive, but I want you to remember th...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I hope you are enjoying this series so far. It feels a little sad to know that it is going to come to an end very soon. Still, I will not break the rhythm and will share another important aspect of life with you. You know, everybody’s life is a story, and so is ours. From the moment we are born, to seeing the world through different lenses and growing up, we get a chance to unfold a unique story of our own. In this process of growing up, I have learned that being warm and friendly is important. The people around us are a part of our story, and we need to make sure that our story remains meaningful and is not shaped negatively by others. Being hospitable and accommodating are qualities you can carry with you. They help keep your mind calm and balanced. But always remember not to extend your giving nature at the cost of your own happiness. In the end, whatever you do is for yourself, and there will not always be...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I am writing this letter to tell you that you have always been worthy of what you do and who you are. Many times, you asked yourself, “Am I worthy enough?” So here I am, answering that for you. Yes, you are, and even more than you have ever imagined. You know, worth is not about how many people like you or how many validate your work. It is about how much you value yourself and what you do. You often felt small when people made you believe your work was not enough. That was never true. When you choose a path that leads to growth, you will face many roadblocks, and sometimes those roadblocks come in the form of people. There were moments when you had opportunities to shine, but things did not go your way. Even when you felt satisfied with your efforts, people reminded you of your failures, and that is when self-sabotage and self-doubt began to take over. At that time, there was no one to guide you, and you were...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I hope you are doing well. Today, I am writing to tell you that I have grown from being a silent girl to someone who voices her opinions and thoughts. Over time, I learned that not everything you are told has to be followed. You can express your ideas, share your views, and even change the way something is meant to be done. You know, you trusted everyone, believing they were your well-wishers. You never thought twice about what you were told to do by people you considered your own, because you believed they always had your best interests at heart. But let me tell you what that led to, and you might be surprised. As I grew up, I realized that when you do not speak for yourself, people begin to speak on your behalf. They start presenting their own version as your opinion. At times, it may seem harmless, but when it happens repeatedly, it becomes a habit. Eventually, you lose the space to express yourself. I can ...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I hope your curiosity to learn and grow has remained the same. It is because of this attitude of yours that I still love to explore new things. I rarely say no when it comes to trying something new. It always feels like it could be fun. You know, learning is important, but what becomes truly challenging is unlearning. At times, it restricts our ability to grow. Many times, I have noticed that I tend to ignore new advice, ideas, or perspectives on something I already know. I become defensive and hold on to my point of view, as if what I know is absolute and there is nothing beyond it. But over time, through both professional and personal experiences, I have come to understand that unlearning is just as important as learning. If you do not make space for new ideas and continue to hold on to outdated knowledge, you end up blocking your own growth. One thing I truly admire about you is your ability to acknowledge ...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear naive kid, I hope you find the tender care you need to heal your soul after trying so hard to make people love you and molding yourself to please them. You know, I feel a little angry as I write this letter because I feel embarrassed for being that person who had to try so hard just to please people, just to make them stay in my life, even when they did not matter enough. They were only there to take advantage of my innocence and get their work done. It was your life back then, but now that I have become enough for myself, I have stopped pleasing people and have become more vocal about my thoughts and opinions. It sometimes lands me in trouble, but that trouble is worth the chance to become more confident. It is not ego, it is a way to protect myself from outside expectations. I believe that once you start choosing yourself and stop looking for outside validation, life becomes easier and the journey gets smoother. Now...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I hope you are feeling proud of how far you have come in your journey. Today, I want to share how you have grown in understanding your self-worth. You know, it was never easy to just breathe freely when there were so many people around you ready to validate your actions and achievements. Even when you did not ask, people would step in to take credit for your success or tell you how things could have been done better, often diminishing your efforts in both good and difficult times. Over the years, I have learned that self-worth is not measured by other people’s validation. Let me tell you when this truly became clear to me. One night, I called a friend to share that I had received an opportunity to participate in my first open mic. The conversation took an unexpected turn, and I ended the call feeling hurt and regretting that I had shared my happiness. That was the last time I allowed someone to take away my jo...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I hope you are doing well and having the time of your life. There are both failures and successes in life, and without them, the journey would feel monotonous. It took me years to understand this and to handle failures gracefully, just as I do with success. You know, rejection has always been difficult for you. You would do anything to seek validation for whatever you did. No one ever told you that it is okay to fail. You were that trophy child who was expected to work hard and win first prize in everything. Whenever you did not achieve excellence, you would either blame yourself or the system. But you were just a child. A mature one, yes, but still a child. Some things were too heavy to handle because your mind was being shaped by adults around you. I do not feel pity for that version of you. Instead, I feel grateful that it took us time to understand that rejection is not failure, but an opportunity to grow,...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I hope you are being heard now. It feels saddening that elders think children don’t have any troubles, that they only have school and projects. But how do we make them understand that even though we go through so much while trying to keep up with everything around us? One thing that still makes me feel a little heavy is that many elders never truly see that their children can have problems, anxiety, and stress too. For them, suffering belongs only to adults. Even when you become a parent someday, you may still be treated like a child who is overreacting, as if taking care of a family is just a piece of cake. So instead of fighting or constantly trying to explain my battles, I have learned to handle them on my own. Someone has to, right? There have been many moments when I was seen as overreacting, even when I was quietly dealing with so much inside. You only begin to understand life differently when you start ...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear always rushing, I hope you are enjoying this series of letters that I have curated for you. I will be honest, I started doing it not just for you, but to heal myself and to get to know myself better, as life was feeling heavy and I felt as if I was losing myself. You know what one of the best virtues is? Before you make wild guesses, let me tell you, it is patience. This letter is about patience, which I remember you had very little of. Every time you wanted permission, it had to be quick and easy. But you forgot that parents had already lived a life as children, and they knew how to negotiate or refuse your demands without hurting you. Honestly, over the years, patience has become my best friend. No matter how delayed things get, I know that what is meant for me will come to me, and that is how patience is growing stronger in me with every opportunity. Sometimes, it is best to accept delays instead of rushing, because yo...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I am writing this letter to tell you that you have always been a kind soul, a child who never thought twice before giving to someone, even when it meant you would be left with nothing. You know, while growing up, what I learned is one of the best lessons of life. Offer something to someone only when you have enough left for yourself, because you cannot give with empty hands. I remember how sometimes you felt sad when nothing was left with you, but you never acknowledged that it was your mistake. Instead of saying no, you continued to give, even when it was emptying your pockets. There was another thing I realized. You did not give only because you wanted to, you also believed that someday, when you would need help, those people would give back to you. But my dear younger self, it does not work like that. You may not always receive from the same people you have helped. It is the universe that decides where your...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I am writing this letter to tell you that we have learned one new sentence while growing up, and that is “No.” The one who always did what she was asked to do has changed now and understands how to prioritize tasks, and above all, herself. You know, I have seen you in situations where you felt reluctant to do something, but you could not refuse and ended up accepting it despite your hesitation. But now, it is not the same. I can use one powerful word to change things in my favor when I do not wish to do something, because it is necessary to set priorities for things, people, and tasks that come my way. It was not easy to become like this and embrace this change. After all, your image as a people pleaser made it harder for me. Sometimes I feel angry at you for being like that, but then I am reminded that you had your struggles, and maybe those shaped you that way. Now, instead of blaming you, I want to talk mor...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear little me, I hope you are doing well. Mistakes have always been your constant teacher, and because of them, you were able to survive the worst. Being a girl is not easy when you already know there will be times when you will face eve-teasing, assault, manipulation, and so much more. If you ask around, every woman will admit that she has faced something like this at some point in her life. You know, even today I do not like it when people apologize for their mistakes and then repeat them again and again. I feel that saying sorry becomes a way for them to feel their mistake is done and dusted, and that they are free to repeat it instead of learning from it. But one thing that is important is to take responsibility for your mistakes and learn from them. Also, if you face mistreatment, learn from that as well, because someone has to learn from the mistake, whether it is yours or someone else’s, especially if it impacts your l...

  You can read all A To Z Blogs  here    Dear younger me, I hope you are doing well and have learned to love yourself, because that is the best thing I have learned over all these years. You used to think you were not the favorite child in the family and that you were only there to shine and rise through all the hard work you did. But I realize now that you were wrong. It was not love from others that was the problem, it was loving yourself that was the problem. You were looking for validation, not love from others. Once you start loving yourself, things change. It does not matter who was, is, or will be there with you. You know, love is crucial, but it is not everything. There are many things that you need, and all of them start with you. When it comes to respect, the first thing to do is to respect yourself. Similarly, it is with love, care, kindness, and everything else. Everything should start with you. Once you learn this, life becomes more beautiful. Over the y...