Letter to myself #2: Dear Younger Me, Who Felt Left Behind

 

To: Revan Ashcroft Aurelion age 20

Dear Younger me,

I know you’re sad right now. Your brother finally becomes an emperor and you’re left here in the Grand Duchy of the north. You’re now a young Grand Duke of Ashcroft.

I know you feel behind.

I know you feel that you’re not good enough because you’re stuck in the cold north.

 

You thought your life has really ended.  From an imperial prince to a grand duke. Everyone’s life seems better your friends got married some has a baby. And you, left with a huge Grand Duchy to govern to.

 

You probably think that by this age you will be married soon and even start a family but you know its impossible now. The high society despises you they even called you beast duke. By this age you should already became a great grand duke even one of the important person  in high society but you didn’t.

 

You weren't behind. You were simply living a story that wasn't supposed to look like theirs.

 

Sometimes, we’re not ready like the day our brother the emperor framed us burn that village but we help them instead. Sometimes, circumstances genuinely make things harder like trying to find a wife in the high society. Sometimes, life simply don follow our plans like when met Hailey Rosenthal in the palace banquet.

 

Stop turning someone else’s success into your failure. You succeed getting the archduchy back again. Meeting Ashcroft’s civilians. Someone else's new home doesn't mean you're failing financially.  Someone else's achievement doesn't erase your own progress.

Their life moving forward was never proof that yours was standing still.

 

Do you remember?

You once struggle to in the palace when your brother constantly harassing you. But you get it through right! You didn’t waver against the current emperor, emperor Blaze you stand tall when you were asked to leave the palace.

Remember what happened to Ashcroft before you became grand duke? Ashcroft were once a desolate north with many thieves now you recruit the thieves as your soldiers and slowly Ashcroft started to change that even no one celebrated that with you.

You don’t have to be successful now. Even after two years, you don’t need to get married right away. Its okay if your plan fails and falls apart. It’s okay to take longer.

Having different timeline from someone else didn’t mean that you’re behind and you need to apologize for.

 

If I can tell you one thing: You’re not late.

 

You don’t need to catch up with anyone because life isn’t a race that you want to win. Life is a process and you’re allowed to grow in your own pace.

 

I know you wanted to catch up. You thought everyone else had already figured out the map while you were still standing at the starting line.

But you weren't standing still.

You were learning.

You were changing.

You were becoming someone you hadn't met yet.

So please stop calling yourself late.

There is no finish line you're supposed to reach before everyone else.

Take your time. Your life is still yours.

And don’t worry your life is getting better real soon!

 

From: Revan Ashcroft Aurelion, emperor of Aurelion Empire, 25 years old.