I came across this idea recently where someone had asked celebrities to write down their thoughts that completed the following statement: “ When I was younger, I wish I had known…”

Now, I am no celebrity and perhaps no one would really care about what I wish I’d known, but something I find myself telling my children is this:

“When I was younger, I wish I’d known that the things I worried about (like what job I’d get, or if I’d ever find someone to love or if I’d have healthy children) were a waste of my energy. Things will happen as they must and as they should, and no amount of worrying will stop things from happening. (In fact I often consider that worry can draw certain dreaded events towards you).

Rather I wish I had put my energy into remembering that I am strong and capable of responding to life as it unfolds. Worry diluted my focus. If I had known that every problem (real or imagined) has multiple solutions and I am perfectly capable of finding those solutions over time, I would have better used my mental reserves.

I wish I hadn’t used so much of my life worrying about things that never transpired or at least never transpired like I imagined they would.”

And so of course, I am wondering what you would say to complete the phrase: “When I was younger, I wish I had known that …”