(Weekend engagement, wk259): If I Could Rewrite the Past and Change How I Viewed Things at 15

all photos are mine

If I could go back and talk to my 15-year-old self, I think the first thing I’d say is: "You don’t know as much as you think you do, and that’s okay." At that age, I thought I had everything figured out. I was sure I knew what mattered, who mattered, and where I was headed. But looking back now, with a bit more life behind me, I see how narrow my perspective was.

At 15, I took so much personally. A small comment, a silent moment from a friend, a bad grade, it all felt huge and defining. I wish I could tell myself that most of those things wouldn’t matter in a year, let alone a decade. I wish I had understood that people act out of their own insecurities more often than they act with real intention to hurt or judge.

I also wish I had placed more value on time. Back then, I thought I had an endless amount of it, endless summers, endless chances. I didn’t realize how quickly those years would pass or how much easier certain things are when you start early. I’m not saying I regret everything, but I do wish I had approached those years with a little more awareness and a little less fear of being different.

One of my biggest shifts has been in how I define success and happiness. At 15, I thought both were tied to approval, grades, compliments, popularity. Now, I understand that peace of mind, genuine relationships, and doing things that align with who you really are matter more than any checkbox or external recognition.

If I could rewrite the past, I wouldn’t change every decision. Some mistakes taught me more than any advice could. But I’d definitely change how I saw the world and myself back then. I’d be kinder, more patient, and less afraid to stand on my own. That shift in mindset might not have changed everything around me, but it would’ve changed me, and that would’ve made all the difference.