September 23, 2025 • 14 mins
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.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tracey (01:51):
Hey, hey, peeps, you know I'm all about helping you
recharge and live empowered,right.
Well, my friends at MekaFinancial are here to help you
do that with your money.
They handle taxes, bookkeepingand even have a smart money
reset program to help yourebuild your credit budget like
a pro and grow your wealth.
I love that.
Their mission is simple helpyou stop overpaying, uncle Sam,
and keep more of what you earn.
(02:12):
You can follow them on thesocials at Meka Financial.
For more information, emailthem at info@ mekafinancial.
com or just give them a call at570-580-0624.
Seriously, let them take thestress off your shoulders so you
can focus on living your bestlife.
(02:36):
What's good everybody?
Welcome to the Charging StationPodcast.
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 yourmind.
Grab that, too, if you need to,but grab your water, grab your
wine.
Whatever your beverage orchoice is, just go ahead, grab
(02:56):
that thing and have a seat onthe couchy, couchy couch.
If you are a new listener, hey,boo, I love me some.
You.
Welcome to the charging station.
Be sure you follow us on allthe socials and living my
empowered life on Facebook,instagram, tiktok for now,
youtube and threads, Girl.
(03:18):
I have to think about them.
I have to think about where weare all the time.
And I say it for now, becauseTikTok is about to be bought out
by US government no, not the USgovernment, but US-based
businesses.
But anyway, that's anothertangent.
But if you are a returninglistener, hey, boo, you know I
love me some of you too.
Thank you for coming back.
You guys could be listening toanything anywhere, but you're
giving me these few moments ofyour time and I truly, truly
(03:43):
appreciate you.
So I know you just heardsomething new, right?
You just heard an ad and that'sgoing to be something that's
going to be coming forward onthe charging station from here
on out until the Lord saysotherwise.
Because one thing that I want todo I want to highlight and
focus on women-owned businesses,specifically Black women-owned
(04:05):
businesses, specifically Blackwomen-owned businesses,
specifically small businessesand local businesses.
So if you have a business herein the Charlotte area, please
email me at promo.
No, please email me at hello atlivingmyempoweredlifecom.
There'll be a link in the shownotes for you to get your ad
placed.
It will not break the budget,because I know what it's like to
(04:28):
get your business off theground and I just want to
highlight some businessesPreferably.
So, if you could, you know, Iwould love to bet your business,
because I really don't want togive access to my audience
because you know they trust meand I don't tend to put my name
(04:48):
on something that I can't vouchfor.
So I want to bet your business,make sure you legit, not out
here scamming people, you knowthings like that.
So into your girl is workinghard on grace and grounded
journey.
That is my new travel brands.
We have the escape to Thailand,the soulful escape to Thailand
(05:10):
retreat, happening October 22ndthrough 30th of 2026.
We have a webinar coming up onSeptember 25th so, depending on
when you listen to this podcastepisode, the webinar may have
already passed.
Let's be real, the trip mayhave already been gone, but I'm
looking forward to this retreatand on the webinar I'll be
(05:31):
sharing the itinerary all thethings that are included in the
retreat, the things that are notincluded just a whole bunch of
stuff.
So if you can join us, go aheadand click the link in the
retreat the things that are notincluded, just a whole bunch of
stuff.
So if you can join us, go aheadand click the link in the show
notes to get on the VIP list.
You can also get theinformation on the socials, on
(05:53):
the Graced and Grounded Facebookpage and Graced and Grounded
Instagram page.
All right, so that's thehousekeeping chair.
Let's get into it.
So this is a safe space, right?
Safe space Because I've createdthe charging station to be a
(06:14):
safe space for you all and formyself, because I do share a lot
of my life, shenanigans andthings like that in this space.
So you know, no judgment, nojudgment zone.
So today I just wanted to sharesomething in this episode that I
actually did, and this is alittle special.
(06:37):
It's a little tender, becauseI'm doing something that I've
wanted to do for a long time andI'm reading a letter to my
younger self, and so, as youlisten, I want you to picture
your own younger self.
Now, what would you say toyoung, whomever Insert your name
(06:57):
, and what encouragement wouldyou give?
So let's go ahead and dive inNow.
Don't judge me if I startcrying a little bit.
I can't guarantee that I won't.
Can't guarantee that.
I will just rock with me, okay.
So I decided to write thisletter to my younger self
(07:19):
because I needed someencouragement, and every once in
a while, we need a little pickme up, we need a little
encouragement.
And I don't know about you, butsometimes I look back at
younger Tracy and just wish Icould sit her down and give her
a hug and tell her everything isgoing to be okay.
And so today's what we're doing, and even though my full story
(07:43):
is not completely written yet,because God is not through with
me yet I still got breath in mybody.
I still got life.
So there are more chapters thatare going to be written in this
story called my life.
I just wanted to take a minuteto acknowledge young T and just
kind of talk to her.
So here it is, I'm sharing thisletter.
(08:04):
So let me go ahead and grab mywater as I get ready to share
this letter.
So here we go, dear youngertracy, first breathe.
(08:31):
I know life feels heavy rightnow, like you have to hold on to
everything.
You gotta hold everythingtogether and be strong for
everyone.
But here's the truth you don'thave to be perfect to be loved.
You don't have to have it allfigured out.
That pain you're carrying, girl, it won't last forever.
The people who left.
You'll survive just finewithout them.
(08:52):
And those tears you cry atnight, one day they will water
the ground that your future joygrows in.
You are stronger than you think, softer than you allow yourself
to be and wiser than you know.
Please stop shrinking to makeothers feel comfortable.
Stop apologizing for being toomuch or too little.
(09:13):
You are exactly who God madeyou to be, and he's not finished
with you yet.
One day T you'll look back onthese moments and realize they
were shaping you into someonewho could help others find hope.
You will find your people, youwill find your joy and you will
love yourself fully, freely andwithout fear.
(09:37):
So chin up, baby girl, keepgoing, keep trusting you are
going to live a life that isworth celebrating with love.
Big T yeah, that was quick,that was deep.
That's just what I needed.
(09:57):
So family.
Reading this letter out loud gotme all in my feelings, but it
is also a reminder to me of howfar I've come, and I hope, when
you write your letter, that itwill remind you of how far
you've come to.
So here's a challenge.
(10:18):
Of course you know I got achallenge for you.
I want you to just so here's achallenge.
Of course you know I got achallenge for you.
I want you to take some timethis week.
Just take five minutes thisweek.
Sit in a quiet space and write aletter to your younger self,
you'll be amazed at how healingit can be.
I can remember sitting down atfive years old and just
(10:41):
imagining what it will be liketo be an adult and, to be honest
, if I had known it was going tobe like this child, I probably
would have gone back to God andlike can we get this contract
rewritten?
Because I didn't sign up forthese terms and conditions.
However, writing this letter tomyself my younger self and
reading it at my big age helpedme to see that.
(11:05):
You know, yes, things havehappened in my life that have
been traumatic, they have beenhurtful, but I've made it.
By the grace of God and hisstrength and his wisdom and his
joy, his word, I have made it.
And funny thing about God whenhe says all things work together
(11:29):
for your good, of those calledinto according to his purpose
and his plan, I can look backover my life and see those
tragic things that have happenedto me.
I see them working for my good.
Now my pastor just preached amessage Sunday in church
entitled that don't make nosense.
(11:49):
And I look back over my lifeand I can see the moments that
just make no sense.
But as I look at them now I seetotally why those things
happened, because I truly andhonestly believe I would not be
(12:09):
the woman that I am today, and Iwould not be growing into the
woman that God has called me tobe, if I hadn't had certain
experiences.
Now I'm not saying thateverything 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
(12:32):
that because of those things, Iam 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 himin the process.
Do I always get it right?
Absolutely not.
Do I go whining and crying andfussing with God?
(12:53):
I absolutely do.
Like who do?
I think I am that, I think Ican fuss with God, but I do it.
I still do it, but knowing thatnothing happens to me that he
does not allow, and knowing thatbecause he has allowed it, he's
going to carry me through it.
I'm okay, I'm okay.
(13:15):
So here's where we're going toget interactive.
Remember, take five minutesthis week, write your letter to
yourself and, if you'recomfortable, share one line with
your letter with me onInstagram or in an email, and
I'd love to celebrate yourgrowth with you.
And I can tell you right now,because of this community we're
(13:44):
small but mighty.
We're all over the world.
You guys show up in my DMs, youshow up in my emails.
We have a whole lot more incommon than we don't, and there
are a lot of us that have dealtwith the same type of situations
and we all feel like we'realone in this world, and we're
not.
So I would love to celebrateyour growth.
(14:06):
And one great thing about thisletter I wrote this letter to
myself.
Maybe let's see how's my math Iwrote this letter to myself 10
years ago and I pulled thisletter out every once in a while
just to remind me that I'vegrown and I'm going to be okay.
(14:27):
So this is going to be a quickepisode, because I just wanted
to share this activity with youand encourage you to do the same
.
And you know what?
I think I'm going to rewrite myletter.
I think when I turn 50, at my50th birthday celebration, I
think I'm going to write a newletter because I'm entering a
whole new decade and I wouldlove to see my growth in this
(14:51):
next phase of life.
So, before we go, let me leaveyou with this reminder your past
may have shaped you, but itdoes not define you.
You have the power to keepwriting your story and trust me
trust me when I say this thenext chapters are going to be
(15:11):
good.
You're going to read your storyand 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 aquick episode, a little mini
episode, but until next time, Ihope you keep charging forward.
Friends, fams, sisters, bros.
I will see you next week on thenext episode of the Charging
(15:33):
Station Podcast.
And just know that I love you.
God loves you.
It ain't nothing you can doabout it.
Boo, see you next week.
We'll be you next time.
Hey, hey, peeps, you know I'm all about helping you
recharge and live empowered,right.
Well, my friends at MekaFinancial are here to help you
do that with your money.
They handle taxes, bookkeepingand even have a smart money
reset program to help yourebuild your credit budget like
a pro and grow your wealth.
I love that.
Their mission is simple helpyou stop overpaying, uncle Sam,
and keep more of what you earn.
(02:12):
You can follow them on thesocials at Meka Financial.
For more information, emailthem at info@ mekafinancial.
com or just give them a call at570-580-0624.
Seriously, let them take thestress off your shoulders so you
can focus on living your bestlife.
(02:36):
What's good everybody?
Welcome to the Charging StationPodcast.
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 yourmind.
Grab that, too, if you need to,but grab your water, grab your
wine.
Whatever your beverage orchoice is, just go ahead, grab
(02:56):
that thing and have a seat onthe couchy, couchy couch.
If you are a new listener, hey,boo, I love me some.
You.
Welcome to the charging station.
Be sure you follow us on allthe socials and living my
empowered life on Facebook,instagram, tiktok for now,
youtube and threads, Girl.
(03:18):
I have to think about them.
I have to think about where weare all the time.
And I say it for now, becauseTikTok is about to be bought out
by US government no, not the USgovernment, but US-based
businesses.
But anyway, that's anothertangent.
But if you are a returninglistener, hey, boo, you know I
love me some of you too.
Thank you for coming back.
You guys could be listening toanything anywhere, but you're
giving me these few moments ofyour time and I truly, truly
(03:43):
appreciate you.
So I know you just heardsomething new, right?
You just heard an ad and that'sgoing to be something that's
going to be coming forward onthe charging station from here
on out until the Lord saysotherwise.
Because one thing that I want todo I want to highlight and
focus on women-owned businesses,specifically Black women-owned
(04:05):
businesses, specifically Blackwomen-owned businesses,
specifically small businessesand local businesses.
So if you have a business herein the Charlotte area, please
email me at promo.
No, please email me at hello atlivingmyempoweredlifecom.
There'll be a link in the shownotes for you to get your ad
placed.
It will not break the budget,because I know what it's like to
(04:28):
get your business off theground and I just want to
highlight some businessesPreferably.
So, if you could, you know, Iwould love to bet your business,
because I really don't want togive access to my audience
because you know they trust meand I don't tend to put my name
(04:48):
on something that I can't vouchfor.
So I want to bet your business,make sure you legit, not out
here scamming people, you knowthings like that.
So into your girl is workinghard on grace and grounded
journey.
That is my new travel brands.
We have the escape to Thailand,the soulful escape to Thailand
(05:10):
retreat, happening October 22ndthrough 30th of 2026.
We have a webinar coming up onSeptember 25th so, depending on
when you listen to this podcastepisode, the webinar may have
already passed.
Let's be real, the trip mayhave already been gone, but I'm
looking forward to this retreatand on the webinar I'll be
(05:31):
sharing the itinerary all thethings that are included in the
retreat, the things that are notincluded just a whole bunch of
stuff.
So if you can join us, go aheadand click the link in the
retreat the things that are notincluded, just a whole bunch of
stuff.
So if you can join us, go aheadand click the link in the show
notes to get on the VIP list.
You can also get theinformation on the socials, on
(05:53):
the Graced and Grounded Facebookpage and Graced and Grounded
Instagram page.
All right, so that's thehousekeeping chair.
Let's get into it.
So this is a safe space, right?
Safe space Because I've createdthe charging station to be a
(06:14):
safe space for you all and formyself, because I do share a lot
of my life, shenanigans andthings like that in this space.
So you know, no judgment, nojudgment zone.
So today I just wanted to sharesomething in this episode that I
actually did, and this is alittle special.
(06:37):
It's a little tender, becauseI'm doing something that I've
wanted to do for a long time andI'm reading a letter to my
younger self, and so, as youlisten, I want you to picture
your own younger self.
Now, what would you say toyoung, whomever Insert your name
(06:57):
, and what encouragement wouldyou give?
So let's go ahead and dive inNow.
Don't judge me if I startcrying a little bit.
I can't guarantee that I won't.
Can't guarantee that.
I will just rock with me, okay.
So I decided to write thisletter to my younger self
(07:19):
because I needed someencouragement, and every once in
a while, we need a little pickme up, we need a little
encouragement.
And I don't know about you, butsometimes I look back at
younger Tracy and just wish Icould sit her down and give her
a hug and tell her everything isgoing to be okay.
And so today's what we're doing, and even though my full story
(07:43):
is not completely written yet,because God is not through with
me yet I still got breath in mybody.
I still got life.
So there are more chapters thatare going to be written in this
story called my life.
I just wanted to take a minuteto acknowledge young T and just
kind of talk to her.
So here it is, I'm sharing thisletter.
(08:04):
So let me go ahead and grab mywater as I get ready to share
this letter.
So here we go, dear youngertracy, first breathe.
(08:31):
I know life feels heavy rightnow, like you have to hold on to
everything.
You gotta hold everythingtogether and be strong for
everyone.
But here's the truth you don'thave to be perfect to be loved.
You don't have to have it allfigured out.
That pain you're carrying, girl, it won't last forever.
The people who left.
You'll survive just finewithout them.
(08:52):
And those tears you cry atnight, one day they will water
the ground that your future joygrows in.
You are stronger than you think, softer than you allow yourself
to be and wiser than you know.
Please stop shrinking to makeothers feel comfortable.
Stop apologizing for being toomuch or too little.
(09:13):
You are exactly who God madeyou to be, and he's not finished
with you yet.
One day T you'll look back onthese moments and realize they
were shaping you into someonewho could help others find hope.
You will find your people, youwill find your joy and you will
love yourself fully, freely andwithout fear.
(09:37):
So chin up, baby girl, keepgoing, keep trusting you are
going to live a life that isworth celebrating with love.
Big T yeah, that was quick,that was deep.
That's just what I needed.
(09:57):
So family.
Reading this letter out loud gotme all in my feelings, but it
is also a reminder to me of howfar I've come, and I hope, when
you write your letter, that itwill remind you of how far
you've come to.
So here's a challenge.
(10:18):
Of course you know I got achallenge for you.
I want you to just so here's achallenge.
Of course you know I got achallenge for you.
I want you to take some timethis week.
Just take five minutes thisweek.
Sit in a quiet space and write aletter to your younger self,
you'll be amazed at how healingit can be.
I can remember sitting down atfive years old and just
(10:41):
imagining what it will be liketo be an adult and, to be honest
, if I had known it was going tobe like this child, I probably
would have gone back to God andlike can we get this contract
rewritten?
Because I didn't sign up forthese terms and conditions.
However, writing this letter tomyself my younger self and
reading it at my big age helpedme to see that.
(11:05):
You know, yes, things havehappened in my life that have
been traumatic, they have beenhurtful, but I've made it.
By the grace of God and hisstrength and his wisdom and his
joy, his word, I have made it.
And funny thing about God whenhe says all things work together
(11:29):
for your good, of those calledinto according to his purpose
and his plan, I can look backover my life and see those
tragic things that have happenedto me.
I see them working for my good.
Now my pastor just preached amessage Sunday in church
entitled that don't make nosense.
(11:49):
And I look back over my lifeand I can see the moments that
just make no sense.
But as I look at them now I seetotally why those things
happened, because I truly andhonestly believe I would not be
(12:09):
the woman that I am today, and Iwould not be growing into the
woman that God has called me tobe, if I hadn't had certain
experiences.
Now I'm not saying thateverything 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
(12:32):
that because of those things, Iam 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 himin the process.
Do I always get it right?
Absolutely not.
Do I go whining and crying andfussing with God?
(12:53):
I absolutely do.
Like who do?
I think I am that, I think Ican fuss with God, but I do it.
I still do it, but knowing thatnothing happens to me that he
does not allow, and knowing thatbecause he has allowed it, he's
going to carry me through it.
I'm okay, I'm okay.
(13:15):
So here's where we're going toget interactive.
Remember, take five minutesthis week, write your letter to
yourself and, if you'recomfortable, share one line with
your letter with me onInstagram or in an email, and
I'd love to celebrate yourgrowth with you.
And I can tell you right now,because of this community we're
(13:44):
small but mighty.
We're all over the world.
You guys show up in my DMs, youshow up in my emails.
We have a whole lot more incommon than we don't, and there
are a lot of us that have dealtwith the same type of situations
and we all feel like we'realone in this world, and we're
not.
So I would love to celebrateyour growth.
(14:06):
And one great thing about thisletter I wrote this letter to
myself.
Maybe let's see how's my math Iwrote this letter to myself 10
years ago and I pulled thisletter out every once in a while
just to remind me that I'vegrown and I'm going to be okay.
(14:27):
So this is going to be a quickepisode, because I just wanted
to share this activity with youand encourage you to do the same
.
And you know what?
I think I'm going to rewrite myletter.
I think when I turn 50, at my50th birthday celebration, I
think I'm going to write a newletter because I'm entering a
whole new decade and I wouldlove to see my growth in this
(14:51):
next phase of life.
So, before we go, let me leaveyou with this reminder your past
may have shaped you, but itdoes not define you.
You have the power to keepwriting your story and trust me
trust me when I say this thenext chapters are going to be
(15:11):
good.
You're going to read your storyand 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 aquick episode, a little mini
episode, but until next time, Ihope you keep charging forward.
Friends, fams, sisters, bros.
I will see you next week on thenext episode of the Charging
(15:33):
Station Podcast.
And just know that I love you.
God loves you.
It ain't nothing you can doabout it.
Boo, see you next week.
We'll be you next time.
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