Hillary Clinton has been a prominent name for many years now. When her husband, Bill Clinton, became the 42nd President of the United States of America in 1993, she naturally became the first lady.

Source: Daily Mail

She was the 2nd most influential presidential wife in the American history. Hillary helped to improve America’s healthcare system during her position as first lady and she also initiated many other helpful policies.

She then ran for presidency in 2016 but unfortunately lost to Donald Trump.

Well, this seasoned lady definitely went through a lot over the years. At the age of 70, surely there are some things which she wished she had known earlier.

Hence, she decided to write a letter to her teenage-self and published it on Teen Vogue.

Source: Clipular

She said,

“Dear Hillary,

“Well, you’ve nearly finished your first semester at Wellesley—congratulations!

“When you first arrived on campus, you found yourself surrounded by brilliant, accomplished women. They were fluent in other languages. They had lived abroad. They had already read half the books on the syllabus.

“That was intimidating—so intimidating, in fact, that you called your parents and told them you didn’t belong at Wellesley after all, and you needed to come home.

“But your mother was not about to let that happen. She said you had to be brave; you had to stick it out. And you had the good sense not to argue, which turned out to be one of the best decisions you ever made.”

“Take risks, and don’t be afraid to get caught trying. Do your best to embrace the excitement that comes with not knowing what’s next, and remember that confidence and an open mind will always serve you better than insecurity and doubt.

“And the next time someone raises her hand in class and says something really smart, go up to her afterward and introduce yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

“You’ll find yourself in plenty of rooms where you’re sure everyone is smarter than you are—and sometimes they will be. But one of the best things in life is getting to know intelligent, inspiring people who have something to say.

“Learn from them. Ask their advice. Support them, and let them support you. After all, you’re plenty smart, too.”

Source: Los Angeles Times

Hillary even told herself to remember to take leaps of faith rather than just strictly sticking to plans. Though not all chances taken will lead to good things, she tells her younger self to give it a shot.

“When your fellow students at Wellesley ask you to give the graduation speech on behalf of the class of 1969, you’ll be humbled and a little terrified. Do it anyway.

“Down the road, your tall, handsome boyfriend who’s crazy about politics will ask you to move to Arkansas with him. It will be a pretty outlandish suggestion, but your heart will steer you right.

“Later, that same man will encourage you to run for the U.S. Senate: “You’d be great at it. I’d love to vote for you.” You should do that, too.

“Oh, and when president-elect Barack Obama says he wants to talk to you about a job opportunity in his cabinet, hear him out. Serving your community, your state, and your country will be the greatest privilege of your life.”

Source: Salary and Net Worth

Hillary even advised teenage-Hillary to do little things like sending thank-you notes, treasuring family and friends, never stop reading and learning, be persistent, and remember that we are all just humans.

Most importantly, thrive to succeed.

“Take criticism seriously but not personally. There will be people who want nothing more than to see you fail, but you can’t let them scare you. Live your life on your terms, not theirs.

“Believe in yourself. You’re going to do great.”

Source: National First Ladies’ Library

What an amazing woman who has truly seen a lot through her 70 years in life. Though she wrote that for herself, there’s lots to learn there too. Let us all heed some of her advice and become a better person as well.