Three Things I’d Tell My Younger Self (E-Story). Joanna Cannon

OF PSYCHIATRISTS

      1. As one door closes another one opens. You may think you have missed an opportunity, but another will come along, and sometimes it will be better than the one you missed.

      2. When you are at rock bottom the only way is up.

      3. There is always more than one pathway to happiness. Never think there is only one career, one partner or one life that will make you happy.

       JOANNA CANNON, author of THREE THINGS ABOUT ELSIE

      1. You actually do like popcorn, but (like many other things in life) you made up your mind before you’d even tried it. It’s worth giving something a go before you decide you don’t like it, can’t do it, or it isn’t for you. Because sometimes, you might find that it is. If nothing else, think of all the popcorn you’ll miss out on …

      2. Concentrate on the things you can change. Very often, the only thing under your control is your reaction to something. Don’t stub your toe against a table and get angry with the table. There are an awful lot of tables out there (trust me), and you’re going to waste so much energy if you don’t master this one.

      3. Being the odd one out is not a bad thing. It might feel a bit rubbish now, being the kid at the edge of the playground, not knowing how to join in. I know you spend a lot of time hidden away in your library books and wandering around in your own imagination, but this is all going to work out just fine. You’ll see.

       JANICE CANNON, JOANNA CANNON’S MUM

      1. Don’t follow the crowd. Play your own game. Just because everyone else is doing something, it doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. It might feel safer to copy other people, but the safest option in life is to always be yourself.

      2. Always take a chance, and the chances you’re offered. Many things in life are a risk, but if you hold on to your nerve and your self-belief, you will never regret giving something a try.

      3. The most important goal in life is to be happy, and happiness can be found in the unlikeliest of places. Never forget to look up – you might be surprised at what you see.

       TRACY CHEVALIER, author of GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING

      1. In adult life, no one ever asks you what grades you got. No one cares, they just want to know that you graduated. So stop worrying about getting a B– rather than a B+.

      2. A career path is rarely straight and planned out. You get to what you want to do through accidents, through exploring cul-de-sacs, through surprise encounters. Most people radically change careers two or three times in their lives. Go with the flow and experiment.

      3. Don’t judge a person by their surface. You would be amazed at what is going on underneath. Many years after finishing school, I met one of the ‘popular’ girls from my year and discovered what a misery her life had been as a teenager. I would never have guessed at the time; if I had known, I might have been less judgemental, and less intimidated.

       JULIE COHEN, author of TOGETHER

      Dear teenage Julie,

      I see you there, 80s girl, with your pink hair and your man’s suit jacket with the rolled-up sleeves and your FRANKIE SAY RELAX T-shirt. You are pretty awesome, you know. I wish I still had your hips and your skin and your singing voice. But I’ve learned a few things since I was you. Here are three of them.

       1. You don’t have to be perfect

      Right now you’re top of your class in your little Maine high school. You have the best grades, you’re the lead in all your school plays, you have great friends, you’re popular (at least with the weird kids). But in a couple of years, you’re going to go to a huge, exclusive university, and you’re not going to be the smartest kid in the room any more. You’ll get scared of trying new things. You won’t try out for any plays or any singing groups. You’ll shy away from joining clubs, or doing any art. You’ll be afraid of failing, or of not being the best.