After winning an Artist of the Year award earlier this week for “promoting community and diversity” through her work and words, Solange has been recognized again, this time by Teen Vogue, for her commitment to advocating for self-acceptance and, per the magazine issue’s foreword written by Thelma Golden, for showing “us that we need not accept others’ projections of who we are.”

Asked to pen a letter to her teenage self for the publication, Solo still manages to promote the concept of self-love to others. Here are a few highlights.

“sometimes…when you go out into the world feeling confident in who you are and what you reflect, young folks will call you names and grown folks will call you names. It’s ok. one day you will name yourself, and that name will belong to you. it will not be the ones they ordained: “crazy, ugly, attention-seeking, weirdo.”

“i really hate to tell you this, but sometimes you will still get called these things as an adult, except you will actually embrace some of them. you will learn that these are just words. words that only have power if you choose to give them power. every once in a while they will hurt, but you will choose to turn those words into a symbol of beauty.”

Solange

“when you ask everyone to leave you alone and let you be, what you really want to say is ‘i want you here’ and ‘i need help.’ sometimes it is ok to say just that. it won’t make you less strong or less powerful. no one you love will criticize you or blame you; in fact, they will lift you up.”

“there will be times you are so sad you can’t lift your head. and there will be times you are so happy that the sensation of life knocks you down. but most importantly, there will be you. a whole, whole lot of it. and you will feel good about who she is and who she is still becoming.”

Solange

Read the full letter here.