Dear Ten Year-Old Bonnie

Dear ten year-old Bonnie,

Hi! It's me - yourself in seven years time - here today. How are you?

You know, you're young and you have have a whole lot of life ahead of you to live. I know I'm still relatively young, too, but I have some advice I'd like to pass on. After all, I have seven more years of life experience than you do. And you're my best friend, and that's what friends do, help each other out!

The first thing I'd like to tell you to do is to have fun. Enjoy being young. Bonnie, you're young yet, and you've got plenty of teenage years ahead to do your growing up in. Have adventures and make amazing memories.

Work hard. I know maths isn't your favourite subject, but trust me, it just gets harder from here on! :) It'll be easier for you in the future if you make an effort to work hard at it now. The Bonnie-of-the-future will thank you. Trust me.

Try not to stress about things (especially little things). Remember to keep calm and practice talking in a calm way. If in doubt? Don't stress! :)

One of the most important things you can do at this stage of your life is to cultivate the relationships you have. Firstly and foremostly, between you and God. You love him with all your heart. Concentrate on getting to know him better and better. Sure, you've got your whole life to fall more and more in love with him, but you won't regret starting young! Keep looking on and trusting in him.
Also cultivate relationships between your family and your friends. Your family's always there for you. So don't take them for granted. And find some friends who mean the world to you and keep close to them.

Learn humility. Don't interrupt people. Don't think you know better than anyone else. Learn to take advice. Be teachable. (And start on this young, too.)

Be joyful. Remember how loved you are. Bring sunshine into the world around you. Learn lots of jokes and tell them to people. Practice the piano more. Become better at throwing frisbees.

Read new books that you haven't read before. Reading the same ones more than about four times each is definitely overkill, Bonnie!

Try not to overthink things. I know it's so easy to do, overthinking - but just relax and go with the flow. Don't worry. It will all work out in the end. :)

Make your mind your friend. Have fun. Lighten up. Learn to laugh at yourself and with others.

Appreciate the small things in life - the little kindnesses others do, and the beauty around you. Never stop noticing and admiring beauty. And encourage those around you. Fill your corner of the world with light.

Embrace change. Change isn't something to hate and fear. Embrace opportunities. They'll turn out to be a blessing in disguise, more often than not!

Ten-year-old Bonnie, you're awesome. Keep plugging away at life. You're doing just fine.

With all my love,