 You look at your past self and there are mixed feelings. You had big dreams, like any kid would. Dreams that were out of this world. Your eyes had so much light in them. Some of you were able to keep that light. Some of you weren't. Maybe you had it ripped away from you. Along the way, life happened, good or bad, childhood wounds, trauma. When you got older, those took a toll. Maybe you weren't a great person, and maybe you had no reason to be. Things happened, things beyond your control. And maybe you were the perfect child, a gifted child, as they call it. You were good at everything you did, until you weren't. Now you're a little older, but that younger self is the one who reacts to the world. They are quick to anger, they're defensive, they're everything you hate about yourself. There are others that younger self, you're envious of them. You used to be so much more enthusiastic and brighter. You wrote better, you were faster, stronger, more capable. You were happier. But still you treat this version of yourself with hatred, disgust. Every chance you get to disrespect this version of you, you take it. You don't ever take the time to be kind to your younger self. To the one who didn't know better. You abandon the old you at any chance you get, and lose sight of who you really are. Not this one in the middle of everything, but this one. The one who saw life for its beauty, for its possibilities. The one that you disrespect it. The one that you don't think about. You have to be kind to yourself. All versions. It's so important. I know everyone loves to self-deprecate and it's in, but still, be nice to yourself. This body, this mind with all of these memories and experiences, this is who you're going to be with for the rest of your life. That person that you look at in the mirror every day is the person you will have to tolerate and put up with for the rest of your life, so why not make it easy on yourself? The world certainly isn't always going to be kind, so why not give that kindness to yourself? Oscar Wilde once wrote that, to love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance. It's the beginning of a deep appreciation for everything that you have to offer, and for what it is that you need to heal from. You are forever growing, with the good and with the bad. You have to accept your flaws and continue to try and change them. Growth never stops, never. You might not appreciate or support the past you, but accept that all of these versions of you make up your present self. They will be a part of you until you become who you want to be. They will be the reason for it, and even when you're all grown, they'll still be with you, and you'll come around. You'll be happy again, brighter, and this time you'll be smarter too. And I hope by that time, you'll treat every version of yourself with a bit of compassion and forgiveness. You are doing just fine. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to your younger self. Because I think despite everything, they would be so proud of the person you became. The person you are, don't you? They would marvel at your strength, at your vulnerability. They'd champion your courage. They would shower you with love and kindness. And I think most importantly, they would treat you with compassion. So why don't you do the same? Look, I don't say it nearly enough, but I'm grateful. I'm so, so grateful. Thank you for watching, for supporting, for commenting. It really does mean a lot. A special thank you goes out to everybody supporting me on Patreon. Thank you for your suggestions, for your kind words, for your encouragement. I really appreciate it. And thanks to everybody who sent me a picture. You are all so cute. It's been a long year. I hope each and every one of you can get some rest soon. As you all know, I'm extremely festive, so Christmas is my favorite time of year. It's also the time of giving. I'm going to be starting a bedtime podcast. Just something light and relaxing for those of you who need noise to fall asleep. It's going to be coming early next year, in January or February. But you can already find it under the name Sleepy Time with Sages Rain on whatever platform you use. Again, a big thank you for watching. Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and take care of yourselves. I'll see you all next year.