As I look back into my past actions, I realize that there were things that I should have changed. It’s interesting how so many authors, politicians, philosophers have written about ‘the past’ in relation to our present selves, but we continue to belabor the point. McCarthy states in All the Pretty Horses, that “Scars have the…read more
Thank you for taking the time to sit with yourself and process your thoughts and feelings. This year, you really took yourself & your ideas seriously. Your perseverance through rejection is admirable and I appreciate you, even when others don’t.
When you lost your job in January- you didn’t beat yourself up.
I love this letter! You should be so proud of your strength and perseverance. I hope you always remember that whatever challenges you face in life, you have the power to handle it with strength, grace and power.
Thank you so much Lauren! Your feedback is so valuable to me. Thank you for creating this platform and safe space. I look forward to the many more stories/letters/entries I create!!!
I so look forward to them as well. I hope you have a. wonderful thanksgiving if I don’t see this week online. Thank you for being. a part of our family.
Hi. Great letter Victoria. Perseverance in tough times is a trait that not everyone has. Clearly you do. You should be very proud. I hope you have a great thanksgiving 🙂
Hi Jim. Thank you so much! I appreciate your words- I certainly needed to hear them. Persevering still by staying optimistic about the future although I don’t know what’s next. Happy Thanksgiving to you too. 😁🙏🏾
You’re very welcome Victoria. Glad I could help a little bit. An yes the unknown. It’s certainly one of my biggest obstacles. I’m sure for many. But persevering seems like the only choice right?
Thank you. Hope yours is a nice one 🙂
Dear Unsealer,
I am so glad you listened to the voice inside you and followed your heart.Keep going forward and you will have much success in all you do.
Thank you so much Ms. Shelley for your kind words. I truly needed them today. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to trust ourselves in the face of uncertainty…we have to keep pushing through!
Blessings!! 🙂
Remember when your first grade math teacher taught you how to read the clock? After learning the significance of the short, long, and longer hands, the odd pie-like object with a black crust and white filling no longer blended in with the classroom wall. In almost every class—every class, except for Math—your eyes would be glu…read more
Many people that they can’t understand. Time tends to go really fast or very slow and based on your youth years you could see the change of time. You can also see how time has affected us. I see that time has brought you joy and happiness a lot of people love to sing in the shower and we all go through those tears of sadness with our mental h…read more
Ella, this letter is so creative, well written and hopeful. I, too, wanted time to slow down when I was younger. With time, also comes change, and that’s always been scary for me. But you are right, with time also comes growth and new and exciting adventures. Thank you for sharing you writing on The Unsealed. I hope you keep sharing your writing…read more
Salutations,
I’ve always thought I was the oddball child in my family’s younger generation for not wanting to grow up. It’s comforting to know that others have similar thoughts and who caught on as quickly as I, if we grew up anymore that meant no more piggyback rides. “You’re getting too big for that.”
Currently, I still don’t like time but it’s…read more
OMG. Hi Ella. You have evoked my tears. Growing up is something I was soooo excited for. Lol I still am even at 24 years old as I’ve made knowledge my best friend. Ive been learning the lesson of remaining in the present as much as possible. To make sure that I’m not running around for future purposes 24/7 and make sure that I’m actually enjoying…read more
Hi Ella, I really enjoyed reading your letter to your younger self. I really enjoyed the personal story that you started off with. I think that everyone can relate to learning to read a clock and tell time for the first time. This story helped to show how your connection with time started. You also did this again with your candles so I thought it…read more
Don’t get me wrong, your life is amazing now, and better than you could have imagined, but it is nowhere near the plan you had envisioned. To be fair, your ten-year plan was flawless; Everything so perfectly articulated and not a measure out of place. It truly was a sight to behold. A girl with her head…read more
This is so well-written and so well said. I am someone who also gets caught up in plans and goals and sometimes forgets to enjoy the moment. I am glad the pandemic gave you a perspective that allowed you to enjoy life and the people you love. Someone once told me 2020 led her to 2020 vision. Sounds like something similar happened to you. Thank…read more
Life never goes the way we want it to go. It’s like a roller coaster where every time we go up in the world we tend to fall. Sometimes the Destiny we seek the destinies of our own accord but God tends to have something else planned for us. Just like you I’ve attended college for something I wanted at the beginning but found a different cal…read more
Salutations,
Your letter has a powerful message and lesson written in it. I find it disappointing when plans don’t come to fruition but, I find myself enjoying living in the moment and it makes me realize that my plans probably wouldn’t have been half as fun as living presently. We forget that, especially overachievers and planners. I suppose,…read more
WOW, I love how well-written your letter is. Thank you so much for shedding light on a lesson I’m currently learning. Remaining in the present while planning on what changes will lead to my success is something I am practicing. I’m learning that without balance I take on a lot at once without giving myself the grace to take care of myself. It’s…read more
It might not look like it now, but I want to tell you that life is short. But also, that life, and mostly time, are precious. I know that maybe days and months feel like forever now, but I want to ask you to treasure them. To treasure the long days and overall to treasure the people that are with you now, to hug them harder, to kiss them longer,…read more
Michelle – I totally feel you about sometimes wanting to go back in time and see everyone at the holiday dinner today. Sometimes, I just want that feeling of being young – really young – and just not worrying about much of anything, It seems like by recognizing how short life truly is, you have been able to pinpoint what really matters in life -…read more
One thing I’ve always told my siblings and one thing I wish I could go back to is being young. Just like you I’ve missed the times when we all sat down during dinners. I miss not having to stress about anything no bills or having enough money to buy food or to get by. Your letter reminded me of a time when life was less stressful. What’s good…read more
Salutations,
My condolences for your losses, I hope your healing is of ease and quick. I feel as if your letter is something some of us wish we kept in mind before it’s too late but more often than not, that isn’t the case. Unfortunately, we can only remember to treasure the memories we keep and hopefully remember to tell the ones we love how much…read more
17 year old me could really benefit from reading this letter. When you come from a certain background growing up can seem like your only way out of certain situations. However, remembering that growing up comes with loved ones passing on is not something we talk about enough. One of my favorite things to do with my grandmother was go to family…read more
Straight hair will not change how you’re perceived. Right now you’ve just moved schools and it seems as though you’re the only person that looks like you. This 13th year of life seems really tough, and I know you want to fit in, but your skin does not have to be lighter in order to achieve true friendship. There’s so much in…read more
Catherine – congratulations on your business and all your success. I am glad you have learned to love every bit of yourself. I used to straighten my curls every single day. Now I wear it both. But there is something so freeing and liberating in accepting yourself as you come. Thank for your strength and courage and thank you for sharing your truth.
Lauren- Thank you for your kind words. I noticed your beautiful curls in one of your pictures. Every now and then I do straighten my hair, but my mindset is completely different from my younger years. Honestly I used to feel that my natural curls were ugly and didn’t deserve to see the light of day. That was due to my own lack of confidence but a…read more
Childhood is such a strange time in life. We are so influenced by what we do and don’t see around us. I am so glad you found your confidence, as you are beautiful and perfect just the way you came into this world. I grew up during a time where straight was very much the style – like pin straight. I burned my stomach, my butt. my neck with that…read more
Wow your story is very touching. I personally never went through a phase of excepting my skin color because I’ve always had no problem with people around me that rejected my skin color. Once I became an adult I started to notice that many people are just horrible to not accept you for who you are just based off of your skin color. It’s sad wit…read more
Kayjah Thank you for your response. That’s awesome that you grew up with that self confidence. I’m sure you inspired others in ways you don’t even know. I know a lot of people who went through the relaxer phase including myself and I must say I’m glad to see more people with natural curls/hairstyles being displayed publicly. It’s so important…read more
Salutations,
I’m ecstatic every time I find someone that looks similar to me happy in their skin, or at the very least comfortable. History and its resentment have created insecurities for all types of walks of life and it’s very discouraging and depressing. I’m sorry that you went through that lesson at such a young age but, without it, there…read more
Oh Ari thank you so much! That is such an encouraging compliment. I’m definitely happy and comfortable in my own skin now. I’ve been very blessed to reach so many goals I’m just thankful. Hopefully Forbes notices me at some point lol. Im so glad to connect with such amazing people. Your kind words definitely made my day.
Oh my goodness….I’m so proud of you. It’s so necessary that we love ourselves to the best of our abilities. Especially when our community has struggled with identity for so long. I LOVE how when I read your letter I could hear your voice and personality. It’s so nice to read a letter from another entrepreneur. I’m super excited about your…read more
Jael thank you for taking time to read and respond to my letter. I love that you too are an entrepreneur as well please tell me more about your business!
It really is a beautiful thing when you get to know yourself. Only then are you able to help others. I look forward to connecting with you more and I appreciate your words of encouragement more…read more
Those words might sound weird or not make sense to you now, but if you start to refer to yourself as love, your true love, you will experience the magic inside of you, unfolding and taking you to all of the places you could ever want to go. You are the living love story of you.
Madi this is so well written. I love the idea of a love story with yourself. And I am with you – I don’t want to live a linear life. There is so much pressure to do so, but it is not for everyone. You are like me – you need a little adventure. – Take the trip, kiss the boy (or girl), live the life YOU want and have fun along the way! Loved your…read more
Wow it’s all I can say from reading this story. Self love is such an important thing to have. What makes this a great letter is that you found your own path to self love your one true love is someone you can always count hard and not many people can count on others but you know what’s in your mind and in your heart so you can trust yourself. Ama…read more
Salutations,
I admire your courage and commend you for sharing. I hope the audiences you reach can grasp everything you convey within this letter to yourself and I hope you celebrate how far you’ve come. I think everyone can agree that being gentle and loving with yourself is of the utmost importance. For who will love us when the world doesn’t?…read more
Aww thank you! Thank you for using the word “gentle” to describe the tone, I love that. I feel like I am learning new ways to be gentle with myself, a journey I will never regret. I look forward to sharing more 🙂
Madi I love how well written your letter is! You knock out some major life lessons right away and I love how you write it. Romanticizing how to love yourself and discovering what’s at your core is the quickest way to loving yourself in my opinion. Then how you know into breaking down the fears that are illusions created through behaviors and i…read more
Thank you 🙂 I am so glad you felt all of the things I wanted to express! I hope to share these kinds of messages with the youth, because truly, imagine how different life would be! <3
You are fearfully and wonderfully made, God made you in his image and he knew you before you were knitted in your womb. Jeremiah 1:5 states, “before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” You are a force to be rec…read more
Nicholette, This is so well written. It sounds like your parents had to make a difficult decision in the short term to give you a better life in the long term. As a child that is so hard to process, but it looks like you came to understand. Congrats on pursuing what sounds like an amazing career in education. And I am so glad you have come to…read more
I related to your story when I talk to my siblings about fitting in. unlike me my siblings were raised on top of a generation that runs off of social media most of the time. I’m 23I had to use of social media when I was younger but not as much of them. Our generation pushes beliefs where they believe that they will have to be perfect or just l…read more
You are so remarkable! Sometimes we wonder why we don’t fit in and we have to realize its because we’re meant to stand out 😀 It’s something I struggled with for a long time. I’m still learning how to use it to my advantage. I feel like you just gave me a major pep talk it was definitely needed! You truly are unstoppable and I”m glad that you…read more
What wonderful work! Congratulations on achieving it. Let’s be friends! Our experiences differ but the feeling of being alone, of not connecting with others… it is the same. Isolation, the sense of being the only one experiencing it is so common to us and to others here. So rare to speak o it, to put it out in the open, o take the risk.
Amber what a sweet poem to your younger self. I want to give you and your younger self a hug. You now our part of The Unsealed family, and you are loved. You beautiful and your are strong. So proud of your strength. It takes courage to face your past but not allow to be your present. You have so much to love and so much to be proud of. <3 Lauren
Amber this poem is magnificent. Younger you would be so proud of the person you are today. Your letter is so inspiring because a lot of us go through dark paths in the past where it is very hard to find the light to get out of that darkness. I’m glad that she found your light and that you motivating other people to find their light.
Amber this is such a thought-invoking poem! I love the depth of it and how you really paint a picture of your feelings with your words. I think a hard lesson we all experience (on different levels is) that people are supposed to come and go in our life. Some longer than others and some in the worst ways. Overcoming abandonment is something that…read more
I remember laying in the cold and sterile intensive care unit room wondering what sin I committed to be there. In my mind there had to be some big thing that I had done to cause this irreversible consequence. Many women had gone before me, and this was not their testimony so surely, I brought this on myself. I laid there with tears running down my…read more
Melynda the great (Your thirty-three-year-old self)
Melynda, this letter is amazing! You are so strong and so beautiful (with and without your amazing voice). Your child is lucky to have you as an example of a strong woman. I am sorry you went through such a hard time, but oh how you have emerged. Keep shining bright! You inspire me and so many others. Thank you for sharing your story. <3 Lauren
Your letter is so amazing. I pictured the hard time that you went through as if it was a movie. It cut deep and I see that you have scars that you healed from. Thank you so much for sharing your story so beautifully that you were able to share it with people like me who needed to hear it.
Melynda you are so strong! Our family is where we’re supposed to feel safe and overcoming something like that is so powerful. I’m so happy that you survived that stroke to be here with us today. You are so right when you tell your younger self that people are in their own worlds. Everyone is a main character in their story and sometimes no one s…read more
Jacey, your letter is so sweet. And it sounds like you have a beautiful family! This line I think is so true for us all, “When you hit those bumpy roads and feel lost, remember you’re actually finding out who you are meant to be.” I think we all need to remember that. And I think it’s so important to love yourself for who you truly are. That’s…read more
Lauren, thank you! My family is very beautiful and they mean so much to me if it wasn’t for them who knows where i would be.
Those bumpy roads sure led me to who i am, and hope to become more along the path. Loving yourself is the biggest challenge i believe its hard work with some tears but it’s amazing once you do learn to love…read more
Jacey your letter is so relatable. not people know what their purpose Is in life. And you laid down that foundation. Sometimes we get lost but what’s great about getting lost is that you won’t be lost forever and you can always be found whether it is from your own doing or someone else helping you out. Keep writing inspirational letters like this.
Thank you so much this means a lot, it actually took a lot for me to write it out, almost like over coming a fear that i was not sure if i should let people know about, but i did it:)
It really is hard finding your purpose but one way or another it will be found even if it takes longer then we wish
thank you for reading my letter i appreciate it!
Hi Jacey! I love how you encourage your younger self to take the help of others but to also take risks. Hitting rock bottom can be so scary and for a long time, I let it cripple me. It wasn’t until I realized that I could create from nothing no matter the situation I got into. Thank you for reminding me to follow my dreams without fear during a…read more
Hey there, you. It’s me. Well it’s you six years later. I am writing to you at a bit of a rocky time in my life, but I wanted to fill you in because I know all you ever do is wonder about the future, so maybe this will put you a bit at ease. Though knowing us, I doubt that. Right after I turned 18 and quit working the rece…read more
Mariyah – I also broke off an engagement and hated wearing the ring and dreaded planning the wedding. It was less about him and more about me, but I know what courage it takes to make that decision. So you should be proud of yourself for making that decision for you. I am so glad you are writing and you are learning to love yourself. You seem to…read more
Thank you for the kind words! It really has been forever since I’ve written like this(I usually stick to poetry) but it feels great to have found this community. I am hoping it sparks my creativity and brings back the passion I’ve always had for writing. Thank you again for the opportunity to do something like this! -Mariyah
So happy it sparked something in you. Writing is so powerful, both in terms of its impacts to influence change in the world while also inspiring and empowering ourselves. I am glad you found our community as well :). If you have any thoughts or ideas of how we can improve the community, feel free to let me know :). <3 Lauren
Your story is phenomenal. I’m glad you chose a path that made you happy and made you learn about your self-worth. Takes a lot of guts to get out of a situation where everything was tough and led you to find something greater. I hope you continue to brighten your future and make amazing decisions. And if you don’t make any great decisions fai…read more
Mariah! You are so strong, talented and inspiring. Some of our hardest lessons to learn is letting go. To believe what we see the first time instead of hurting our selves by holding on too long. I’m so happy to hear all of the things you’re doing to learn yourself and channel your energy into different physical activities. My Thai is absolutely…read more
Dear Mariyah,
Your journey in life has been one of challenges but also triumphs. You have overcome so much. Stay strong and keep forging ahead. I know you will succeed.