Letter to Myself

Dear 2026 Kirsten,

This year, do it for you. Not to make someone like you, not to keep the peace, not to stop someone from getting mad. Don’t let the fear of losing someone chain you in place. The ones who are truly worth your heart won’t walk away.

Be kind, but don’t shrink yourself to make others comfortable.

Remember how it felt when you were hurt—how the ache sat heavy in your chest, how you tried to smile through it anyway. Pay attention to people’s actions. Those who care will not repeat the things that broke you, and those who love you would never do them in the first place.

It’s okay to be upset. Let yourself feel the sting, the disappointment, the hollow parts you tried to ignore. Feel it fully… and then let it go. Release the ones you’ve held too tightly, the ones who would let you slip through their fingers without a second thought.

Step back. Breathe. And don’t be afraid to return to yourself—the version of you that existed before the heartbreak, before the doubt, before you forgot your own worth.

You deserve a year that belongs to you.