There are times in life when we find ourselves feeling lost and directionless. Our past selves might wish for a glimpse into the future in the face of uncertain career paths, risky opportunities, and daunting expectations from families and peers. For many of us, our teenage years were volatile and complicated. This year’s high school graduates have their own challenges with the one-year anniversary of remote learning. They’ll enter a world which is slowly shifting back to “normal,” but what does “normal” even look like anymore? With graduation season upon us we’re wondering: what sort of advice would you give your past self? For SixContest #139, we’d like you to write a six-word letter to your eighteen-year-old self.

What sorts of challenges did you experience, and how would you now confront them? Or maybe you focused on juggling tricky relationships between your social, personal, and work life. Do you still agree with your past values, or how did your priorities change? Based on your experiences, what advice would you share with recent graduates? As for the Sixers who haven’t turned eighteen yet, what do you expect to find waiting for you?

If you'd like to share a backstory (we love reading them!), be sure to submit your entry as a Six and include the link to the Backstory here in the comments below. Share as many stories as you like, but do post only one entry per comment. The winner will be sent a Six-Word Memoir book of their choice.

Remember to tag us and include #SixOnEighteen when posting your Six Words to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!