Dear Younger Human | Nihshabd

Illustration of an older woman sharing funny life advice with her younger self.

What’s the best advice you’d give to someone younger than you?

Dear younger human,

Don’t rush to grow up.
Adulthood is mostly opening the fridge,
staring into it dramatically,
and closing it without taking anything.

.

Wear the clothes.
Use the fancy notebook.
Save some money, yes
but don’t save your happiness for “someday.”

.

Take photos with the people you love.
One day you’ll zoom in and realize
the background matters less
than the faces beside you.

.

Don’t waste years trying to be liked by everyone.
Even pizza has haters,
and pizza is doing just fine.

.

Your mistakes won’t ruin your life.
They’ll just become funny stories
you’ll tell with unnecessary hand gestures later.

.

Learn to leave places
where your peace pays the bill
for someone else’s comfort.

.

And please, drink water.
Half your life problems are emotions,
the other half is dehydration pretending to be emotions.

.

Most importantly

Stop waiting to become perfect
before you start living.

.

Life isn’t an exam with invigilators.
It’s more like assembling furniture without instructions—

confusing, slightly crooked,
and somehow still useful.

.

So laugh often,
love deeply,
and remember:

the adults you admire today
were once teenagers too—
equally confused,
just with less back pain.

.

Signed,
Someone older, wiser,
and still opening the fridge
as if a solution to life
might have appeared since the last visit.

.

Still learning, still laughing,
—Rajeshwari
🧿💕

© Nihshabd by Rajeshwari

Comments

29 responses to “Dear Younger Human | Nihshabd”

  1. SRIKANTH Avatar

    That letter is an absolute gift, Rajeshwari.

    Thank you for distilling life into something so tender, funny, and deeply human. The line about “dehydration pretending to be emotions” made me set down my coffee to drink water—and the pizza metaphor is officially my new life mantra.

    You didn’t just give advice; you gave someone permission to be beautifully imperfect right now, without waiting for permission. The fridge metaphor at the end? Perfectly circular and painfully relatable.

    You’ve clearly lived, laughed, and learned—and then had the generosity to wrap those lessons in warmth and wit for a stranger. That makes you not just wise, but kind.

    Keep opening that fridge, keep laughing at the crooked furniture, and please never stop writing. The world needs more voices like yours. 🌟

    1. nihshabdblog Avatar

      You have me blushing and smiling at the same time. 😊 Thank you Srikanth ji for being so generous with your words.
      The truth is, I’m still learning, still making mistakes, and still occasionally opening the fridge as if a solution to life might be waiting inside. 🤭
      Thank you for walking alongside me on this little writing journey. Your kindness is deeply appreciated. 🌷✨

      1. SRIKANTH Avatar

        Rajeshwari ji, you’ve just made my day! 😊 Your words feel like a warm hug in text form. It means the world to know that my little words resonate with you. Truly, having you as part of this journey is what makes all the stumbles and scribbles worth it. Thank you for your beautiful heart. 🌷✨

      2. nihshabdblog Avatar

        Aww, thank you Srikanth ji! 😊🌷
        Now you’ve made my day too. It is always a joy to walk alongside kind-hearted people on this writing journey. May there be many more scribbles, smiles, and shared moments ahead. ✨💕

  2. Girish Mani Avatar

    Well, this is the nicest list to tell our younger self, if only we can listen and heed at that age….😆

    1. nihshabdblog Avatar

      Very true. 😊 Inspiration is all around us when we keep our hearts and minds open. Every person has something valuable to teach us. 🌷

  3. Lalitha Avatar

    Oh the damn fridge! I still haven’t figured out why I think opening the fridge and standing there for answers that have forgotten their originating questions makes any sense to me. But I do it. The answers don’t but I find a little bit of balance in an otherwise chaotic boombox my days turn out to be.

    I tell you…the fridge and the fitted betsheet have become my go to metaphors when I visit you. They always make me laugh out loud. They always relate to what I do when I am on a buffering mode!

    This is a such a fun read with all the worldly advice one needs! Yes… The dehydration bit was a falling off the chair moment. Something I always tell myself too… Drink up baby… All is well!! 😂😂😂😂

    Thank you for this one! Mazaa aa gaya!! 😆

    1. nihshabdblog Avatar

      Hey Lalitha, this made me laugh out loud! 😂🌸

      I love that the fridge and the fitted bedsheet have become your go-to metaphors when you visit me. I’m slightly offended on behalf of WiFi though it has been faithfully buffering its way through my posts for quite some time now! 😄📶😂 And yes, the dehydration bit comes from hard-earned wisdom. Sometimes life isn’t falling apart we’re just thirsty. 😂
      Thank you for reading with such joy and for always finding the humor hidden between the lines.

      Your comment made my day. 💕

  4. Shruti pandey Avatar

    This is a wonderful post, Rajeshwari. I’m reading this after coming back from a mind numbing exam, and I can tell you this took away all my anxiety stressing over my performance in it. The tea in my hand tastes much more better and peaceful now, haha. Thank you for this reminder!

    1. nihshabdblog Avatar

      Aww, thank you Shruti! 🌸 I have to admit, I smiled at the image of you sitting there with a cup of tea after a mind-numbing exam. ☕😊
      If my little poem managed to quiet the noise in your mind, even for a few minutes, then it was worth writing. As for the exam be kind to yourself. You’ve done your part. The worrying can take a day off now. 🤍🌷✨

      Thank you for stopping by and sharing this. Comments like yours make my tea taste better too. 💕✨

  5. nandavaishnavi Avatar

    It feels wonderful to read this post. You are killing it. You go girl! I got inspired to write again. I used to care what others think. One of the best advices I have heard. I resonate with you a lot.

    1. nihshabdblog Avatar

      Aww, thank you Vaishnavi! 🌸 The best part of your comment was, “I got inspired to write again.” That’s the kind of thing that makes my heart happy. 😊
      My mentor once told me that the day we stop worrying about negative opinions, we begin walking the path of growth. It took me years to truly understand that. And trust me, life becomes much lighter when we stop asking for everyone’s approval and start being ourselves.

      So please keep writing. Your voice matters. 💕 Wishing you many happy writing days ahead. 🌷

  6. Vijay Srivastava Avatar

    Rajeshwari Ji, 🙏

    Reading this piece felt like sitting on a quiet veranda, listening to a wise friend gently share life’s little secrets with a smile. There is no weight of preaching here only the warmth of lived experience, blended beautifully with humor and insight.

    I was especially touched by the reminder that we should not postpone living while waiting to become perfect. So many of us spend years preparing for life, only to realize that life has been unfolding in the present moment all along.

    Lines such as “Even pizza has haters, and pizza is doing just fine” bring a smile while conveying a profound truth: the pursuit of universal approval often takes us further away from ourselves.

    What I particularly appreciated is the way this reflection presents life not as an examination to be passed, but as a journey of learning, stumbling, laughing, and growing. Our mistakes are rarely the end of the story; more often, they become the stories we tell with wisdom and perhaps a little dramatic hand gesture years later.

    Your words leave the reader with both a smile and a moment of quiet contemplation. Gentle, insightful, and deeply relatable, this is a piece that speaks to people of every age.

    With warm regards and appreciation,

    Vijay Srivastava

    1. nihshabdblog Avatar

      Vijay Ji, What a beautiful gift you’ve left in my comment section. 🌸 I’m especially happy that you saw the smiles hidden between the lessons. Life has given me enough reasons to take it seriously, so I’ve learned to sprinkle a little humor over the hard truths whenever I can. 😊 Thank you for reading so thoughtfully and for leaving behind a comment that feels more like a warm conversation than a review. The fact that you connected not just with the words, but with the feelings behind them means more than I can say.

      You left me smiling. 😊

  7. Patty Wolters Avatar

    Sometimes, I do find something in the fridge that helps, hihi
    But seriously, love this post, dear Rajeshwar.
    Warmly, Patty

    1. nihshabdblog Avatar

      Hi Patty, First of all, it’s Rajeshwari… but I’ll let it slide this time because your comment made me smile. 😄
      And yes, every now and then the fridge surprises us. We open it looking for answers and end up finding chocolate, leftover cake, or something equally therapeutic. 😂
      Thank you, dear Patty. Your warm words always feel like a visit from a friend. 💕

      Rajeshwari 🤍✨

      1. Patty Wolters Avatar

        Oh my, honestly… I copy-pasted your name from your post. Too quickly, apparently. Thank you for letting it slide 😀

      2. nihshabdblog Avatar

        Haha, no worries, Patty! 😄 These things happen. I’m just glad the comment found the right person. 🌸

  8. gc1963 Avatar

    Hee.. Hee…I am laughing out loud. Amusing yet practical. Like it. I hope your fridge becomes the gateway to wisdom some day. I have given up on mine.

    1. nihshabdblog Avatar

      😂 Thank you Geeta ji!
      I refuse to give up on my fridge. One day it might finally reveal the answers it’s been hiding all these years. 😄🌸 Until then, the search continues!

  9. Master Newhall Avatar

    Profound! And genuinely exactly what ineeded to read. Great work, and I wish you the best of luck!

    1. nihshabdblog Avatar

      Aww, thank you! 🌸 I’m so glad this found you when you needed it. Sometimes the right words arrive at just the right time. 😊
      Wishing you all the very best and sending a warm smile your way. 🤍✨

  10. Nageshwar singh Avatar

    Nice post, perfect example of writing. ❤️✨

    1. nihshabdblog Avatar

      Aww, thank you! 🤍✨ That’s such a generous compliment. Your encouragement means more than you know. ✨

      1. Nageshwar singh Avatar

        🌅🙏🏻 शुभ प्रभात जी 🙏🏻🌅

  11. samaysakshi Avatar

    Very nice approach. Really if one could be there in earlier years with present time maturity he or she would do things quite differently, anyhow everyone gets a chance to be mature doing his own experiments in life. Great writing.

    1. nihshabdblog Avatar

      Thank you so much🙏🏻Very true…perhaps we can’t take today’s wisdom back to our younger selves because that wisdom was earned on the journey itself. Glad you connected with the thought. ✨

  12. Glowith – Glow Every Day, Grow Every Way Avatar

    Beautifully written, Rajeshwari. 💕 “Don’t save your happiness for someday” really stayed with me.

  13. ganga1996 Avatar

    Just need to hydrate ourselves! Great advice!

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