A message for you (the adult reads it out loud)

Hi. I want to tell you a secret: I have a bossy little voice too.

A while ago it used to tell me: “You do everything so well that you'll never have problems.” And I believed it. I stopped taking care of some things. Then things changed and I had to start almost from zero. It was like arriving at a new school without knowing anyone: I had to learn things all over again.

My little voice also made me want to look important. And some people thought I was stuck-up, without knowing me. That made me sad.

Do you know who helped me? The people close to me. They taught me that looking happy isn't what matters: being truly okay is.

Your little voice isn't going to go away. Mine isn't either. But now you know how to recognize it, and that's a superpower.

And remember this: the world is huge and there's room for all of us. You don't have to win all the time. You get to enjoy the people you love.

With love,
the one who wrote this route

Let me tell you something about me.

For years I had one fixed idea: that I had it all figured out. I thought what I'd achieved would always be there, and that if something went wrong, I'd fix it in no time. That idea was my ego talking, and I believed it.

One day things changed, and what I thought was secure stopped being secure. Starting over has been really hard. I had to do what my ego didn't want: accept that I didn't know everything, learn new things, start again.

But what my ego has cost me most wasn't that. It was people. Because I wanted to look a certain way, many people have seen me as stuck-up without knowing me. The ones who stayed to get to know me changed their minds. The others didn't. And sometimes I wonder which friendships I missed out on because I was protecting an image.

You're at the age when what others think weighs the most. I know. That's why I'm telling you what the people close to me taught me, without speeches: what matters isn't looking like you're okay, but being okay.

Your ego isn't going away. Mine isn't either. But now you know how to see it. And when you see it, you can choose differently: listen instead of winning, apologize instead of defending yourself, congratulate instead of comparing.

The world doesn't revolve around anyone. Not you, not me. And that's not sad: it's freedom. You don't have to win at everything. You have to be you, with the people you love, while you have them close. Time goes by faster than it seems.

With love,
the one who wrote this route

Before you close this route, I want to tell you something about me.

For years I believed I had life figured out. I had stability, and I convinced myself it would never end. That if something changed, everything would fall back into place quickly. That what I knew how to do spoke for me. That certainty had a name, and I didn't see it: it was my ego.

Because of that certainty, I neglected things. One day things changed, and what I thought was secure stopped being secure. The mistake wasn't the change: the mistake came before, when I believed nothing could shake the ground under me. I thought it would be a short pause, and it wasn't. Getting back on my feet has been hard. And I've had to do what my ego would never have chosen: open my mind, try new paths, learn again.

When I look back, what my ego has cost me most isn't money. It's the things that didn't happen. Chances to grow that I let go because I thought I already knew. People I didn't get to know because I was busier keeping up appearances than getting to know them. Many people have labeled me arrogant without knowing me. Luckily, those who stay to get to know me end up thinking otherwise. But sometimes I wonder how many didn't stay. That question hurts, and it also teaches: the image we guard so carefully is sometimes exactly what pushes others away.

I didn't have one great teacher. I have many small ones, every day: people close to me who, without giving speeches, show me that what matters isn't looking like you're okay, but being okay. People who don't need to be admired to be at peace.

So now that you're finishing, I'll tell you this:

Your ego isn't going to disappear. Neither is mine. It's not about killing it, but about seeing it for what it is: a voice that promises security and often takes it away. When you understand it, you can change what's around you: how you listen, how you apologize, how you treat people who think differently.

And remember the simplest thing, which is the one we forget most: the world doesn't revolve around you. That's not bad news. It's a relief. You don't have to hold everything up, or always be right, or win every conversation. You can give yourself to what really matters: the people close to you, while you have them close. Life goes by fast. Don't let it slip away while you defend an image.

With love,
the one who wrote this route