Dear Me: The Letter I Needed

Writing a letter to my younger self created an unexpected space for healing, growth, and self-compassion. This reflective practice not only acknowledges how far we've come but also helps reframe past struggles as stepping stones to who we are becoming.

• Introducing sponsored segments highlighting women-owned and Black-owned small businesses
• Announcement of the Graced and Grounded Thailand retreat (October 22-30, 2026)
• Reading a personal letter written to my younger self from 10 years ago
• Exploring how past difficulties shape our current strengths and resilience
• Challenge to write your own letter to your younger self in just 5 minutes
• Invitation to share one line from your letter on Instagram or via email

Your past may have shaped you, but it does not define you. You have the power to keep writing your story, and the next chapters are going to be amazing.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction and Sponsorship
• 2:39 Housekeeping and Travel Brand Update
• 6:01 Letter to My Younger Self
• 10:00 Reflecting on Growth and Challenge

Transcript

Tracey: 1:51

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Tracey: 2:36

What's good everybody? Welcome to the Charging Station Podcast. It's your girl, Tracey Massey, of Living my Empowered Life hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Go ahead and grab your coffee, grab your tea, grab your water, grab your wine Not grab your mind. Grab that, too, if you need to, but grab your water, grab your wine. Whatever your beverage or choice is, just go ahead, grab that thing and have a seat on the couchy, couchy couch.

Tracey: 2:59

If you are a new listener, hey, boo, I love me some. You. Welcome to the charging station. Be sure you follow us on all the socials and living my empowered life on Facebook, instagram, tiktok for now, youtube and threads, Girl. I have to think about them. I have to think about where we are all the time. And I say it for now, because TikTok is about to be bought out by US government no, not the US government, but US-based businesses. But anyway, that's another tangent. But if you are a returning listener, hey, boo, you know I love me some of you too. Thank you for coming back. You guys could be listening to anything anywhere, but you're giving me these few moments of your time and I truly, truly appreciate you. So I know you just heard something new, right? You just heard an ad and that's going to be something that's going to be coming forward on the charging station from here on out until the Lord says otherwise.

Tracey: 3:56

Because one thing that I want to do I want to highlight and focus on women-owned businesses, specifically Black women-owned businesses, specifically Black women-owned businesses, specifically small businesses and local businesses. So if you have a business here in the Charlotte area, please email me at promo. No, please email me at hello at livingmyempoweredlifecom. There'll be a link in the show notes for you to get your ad placed. It will not break the budget, because I know what it's like to get your business off the ground and I just want to highlight some businesses Preferably. So, if you could, you know, I would love to bet your business, because I really don't want to give access to my audience because you know they trust me and I don't tend to put my name on something that I can't vouch for. So I want to bet your business, make sure you legit, not out here scamming people, you know things like that. So into your girl is working hard on grace and grounded journey.

Tracey: 5:04

That is my new travel brands. We have the escape to Thailand, the soulful escape to Thailand retreat, happening October 22nd through 30th of 2026. We have a webinar coming up on September 25th so, depending on when you listen to this podcast episode, the webinar may have already passed. Let's be real, the trip may have already been gone, but I'm looking forward to this retreat and on the webinar I'll be sharing the itinerary all the things that are included in the retreat, the things that are not included just a whole bunch of stuff. So if you can join us, go ahead and click the link in the retreat the things that are not included, just a whole bunch of stuff. So if you can join us, go ahead and click the link in the show notes to get on the VIP list. You can also get the information on the socials, on the Graced and Grounded Facebook page and Graced and Grounded Instagram page.

Tracey: 5:59

All right, so that's the housekeeping chair. Let's get into it. So this is a safe space, right? Safe space Because I've created the charging station to be a safe space for you all and for myself, because I do share a lot of my life, shenanigans and things like that in this space. So you know, no judgment, no judgment zone.

Tracey: 6:26

So today I just wanted to share something in this episode that I actually did, and this is a little special. It's a little tender, because I'm doing something that I've wanted to do for a long time and I'm reading a letter to my younger self, and so, as you listen, I want you to picture your own younger self. Now, what would you say to young, whomever Insert your name, and what encouragement would you give? So let's go ahead and dive in Now. Don't judge me if I start crying a little bit. I can't guarantee that I won't. Can't guarantee that. I will just rock with me, okay.

Tracey: 7:14

So I decided to write this letter to my younger self because I needed some encouragement, and every once in a while, we need a little pick me up, we need a little encouragement. And I don't know about you, but sometimes I look back at younger Tracy and just wish I could sit her down and give her a hug and tell her everything is going to be okay. And so today's what we're doing, and even though my full story is not completely written yet, because God is not through with me yet I still got breath in my body. I still got life. So there are more chapters that are going to be written in this story called my life.

Tracey: 7:55

I just wanted to take a minute to acknowledge young T and just kind of talk to her. So here it is, I'm sharing this letter. So let me go ahead and grab my water as I get ready to share this letter. So here we go, dear younger tracy, first breathe.

Tracey: 8:31

I know life feels heavy right now, like you have to hold on to everything. You gotta hold everything together and be strong for everyone. But here's the truth you don't have to be perfect to be loved. You don't have to have it all figured out. That pain you're carrying, girl, it won't last forever. The people who left. You'll survive just fine without them. And those tears you cry at night, one day they will water the ground that your future joy grows in. You are stronger than you think, softer than you allow yourself to be and wiser than you know. Please stop shrinking to make others feel comfortable. Stop apologizing for being too much or too little. You are exactly who God made you to be, and he's not finished with you yet. One day T you'll look back on these moments and realize they were shaping you into someone who could help others find hope. You will find your people, you will find your joy and you will love yourself fully, freely and without fear. So chin up, baby girl, keep going, keep trusting you are going to live a life that is worth celebrating with love. Big T yeah, that was quick, that was deep. That's just what I needed. So family.

Tracey: 10:01

Reading this letter out loud got me all in my feelings, but it is also a reminder to me of how far I've come, and I hope, when you write your letter, that it will remind you of how far you've come to. So here's a challenge. Of course you know I got a challenge for you. I want you to just so here's a challenge. Of course you know I got a challenge for you. I want you to take some time this week. Just take five minutes this week.

Tracey: 10:27

Sit in a quiet space and write a letter to your younger self, you'll be amazed at how healing it can be. I can remember sitting down at five years old and just imagining what it will be like to be an adult and, to be honest, if I had known it was going to be like this child, I probably would have gone back to God and like can we get this contract rewritten? Because I didn't sign up for these terms and conditions. However, writing this letter to myself my younger self and reading it at my big age helped me to see that. You know, yes, things have happened in my life that have been traumatic, they have been hurtful, but I've made it. By the grace of God and his strength and his wisdom and his joy, his word, I have made it.

Tracey: 11:25

And funny thing about God when he says all things work together for your good, of those called into according to his purpose and his plan, I can look back over my life and see those tragic things that have happened to me. I see them working for my good. Now my pastor just preached a message Sunday in church entitled that don't make no sense. And I look back over my life and I can see the moments that just make no sense. But as I look at them now I see totally why those things happened, because I truly and honestly believe I would not be the woman that I am today, and I would not be growing into the woman that God has called me to be, if I hadn't had certain experiences. Now I'm not saying that everything has to be tragic, because they don't have to be, but the way this world is set up, crazy stuff is going to happen, but I truly and firmly believe that because of those things, I am who I am and in those things I've learned more about God. I've grown closer to him. I've learned how to trust him in the process.

Tracey: 12:48

Do I always get it right? Absolutely not. Do I go whining and crying and fussing with God? I absolutely do. Like who do? I think I am that, I think I can fuss with God, but I do it. I still do it, but knowing that nothing happens to me that he does not allow, and knowing that because he has allowed it, he's going to carry me through it. I'm okay, I'm okay.

Tracey: 13:15

So here's where we're going to get interactive. Remember, take five minutes this week, write your letter to yourself and, if you're comfortable, share one line with your letter with me on Instagram or in an email, and I'd love to celebrate your growth with you. And I can tell you right now, because of this community we're small but mighty. We're all over the world. You guys show up in my DMs, you show up in my emails. We have a whole lot more in common than we don't, and there are a lot of us that have dealt with the same type of situations and we all feel like we're alone in this world, and we're not. So I would love to celebrate your growth. And one great thing about this letter I wrote this letter to myself. Maybe let's see how's my math I wrote this letter to myself 10 years ago and I pulled this letter out every once in a while just to remind me that I've grown and I'm going to be okay.

Tracey: 14:27

So this is going to be a quick episode, because I just wanted to share this activity with you and encourage you to do the same. And you know what? I think I'm going to rewrite my letter. I think when I turn 50, at my 50th birthday celebration, I think I'm going to write a new letter because I'm entering a whole new decade and I would love to see my growth in this next phase of life. So, before we go, let me leave you with this reminder your past may have shaped you, but it does not define you.

Tracey: 15:01

You have the power to keep writing your story and trust me trust me when I say this the next chapters are going to be good. You're going to read your story and be like who is this chick? She is awesome. Sorry y'all, that's quick. That was quick. I told you it was going to be a quick episode, a little mini episode, but until next time, I hope you keep charging forward. Friends, fams, sisters, bros. I will see you next week on the next episode of the Charging Station Podcast. And just know that I love you. God loves you. It ain't nothing you can do about it. Boo, see you next week. We'll be you next time.