On loving your teenage self to bits
Living shamelessly now by honoring who you've been 🥰
Happy Tuesday, love!
Here are 3 tips on being shamelessly sexy this week, inspired by seeing The Devil Wears Prada 2 in the cinema.
Desire It 💋
Who or what did you idolize in your teenage years? Whose poster was plastered on your bedroom wall? What attracted you to them? What did your teenage self love and desire most deeply?
I begged my parents for a subscription to Vogue Magazine when I was 16. Yes, it gave me unrealistic beauty standards and a near-eating disorder. But I found luxury fashion alluring. The beautiful clothes and the beautiful people were intoxicating.
Honor It 🌞
“Instead of thinking about your performance relative to other people, what’s really important is…Am I performing better than I did in the past? Am I learning? Am I getting better?” — Heidi Grant Halvorson, The Incredible Benefits of a “Get-Better” Mindset, 99U.
In a moment alone, think about your teenage self and give yourself a hug. Reflect on just how far you have come. Could your teenage self have imagined where you are today? How would they feel about it? Express love and gratitude towards your past self.
Act On It 🗣️
This week, do something to delight your teenage self. You could buy your favorite meal or snack, rewatch your favorite movie from that era of your life, or pick up something small from the drugstore you would have drooled over. I’ve bought myself Barry M glitter (for only £4.49!) and had a piece of artwork I made framed. Publishing These Perfectly Careless Things was an exercise in healing my teenage self and accomplishing her dreams.
Exercise your agency as an adult and have fun with it!
See you next week!
Love,
Tash Doherty
Author of These Perfectly Careless Things
Creator of The Intimacy Journal
Facilitator of Intimacy Writing Workshops
💌 ✍️
Extra Treats I’m Working On 🍬
My Next Creative Project🎨
I’m cooking up something new. I can’t tell you what it’s about yet, but it focuses on the therapeutic benefits of writing, and I’m really excited about it. More details incoming!
Your Deeper, Spicier Read 🔥
This week, I updated one of my most popular articles, “The Ultimate Guide to Having An Incredible One-Night Stand.” I hope you enjoy reading it, and thank you in advance for giving it a click so Google will index the update faster 😈.
Song of the week 🎶
