We are made of our past

In Brad Paisley's "Letter to Me", he sends a letter back to his 17-year-old self assuring him that everything will work out fine.  Couldn't knowing that things will work out change the way you approach problems?

The Time Travel paradox.  Just by going back in time, you risk changing the future.

I would be afraid that changing the past would change the present.  I ascribe to the philosophy expressed in the Darius Rucker song,  "This".

I don't really know how I got here
But I'm sure glad that I did
And it's crazy to think that one little thing
Could've changed all of it

I know I've made mistakes in my past.  There are things I regret and would like to change.  But my past makes me who I am today.  The successes, the failures, the people who treated me well, even the people who treated me badly, all influenced the person I have become.

I like who I am now.   I am flawed, insecure, smart, stubborn, kind, conscientious, trustworthy, judgmental, lucky, and grateful. 

And very happy.