Alysa Liu was asked to pass on a message to her younger self. She refused — and showed what self-love really means

Alysa Liu made history at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. The 20-year-old athlete bagged a gold medal in the women's figure skating — the first American lady to do so since 2002. Like every other sportsperson, Liu went through a lot — long hours of practice, sacrifices, setbacks, and failures — but her sheer determination and hard work kept pushing her towards success. Despite the challenges, she said she never regretted anything in life, nor does Liu think she could have done things any differently in the past. In an interview with TODAY, co-anchor Dylan Dreyer asked the young athlete if she had any message for her younger self, but she immediately refused. Her reason is inspiring a whole generation of hustlers to breathe a deep sigh of relief.

When Dreyer asked Liu what she would like to tell her younger self, the figure skater immediately said nothing. She shared that her younger self worked it out independently, and she doesn't feel like her journey could have been any different. "Nothing... she's got it; she will figure it out. She will go through it, and like, I don't want to mess it up," Liu said. Quitting the sport at 16, Liu has always put her mental well-being first. When she stopped enjoying the art of figure-skating, it was mostly on account of overbearing coaches and the imminent burnout that followed. This year, Liu returned with joy in her heart, and wowed the audience for weeks. The Olympic champion clearly doesn't regret the past or expect too much from the future; rather, she lives in the present and enjoys every minute to the fullest. 

Research by Jocelyn A. Rutledge, Jadyn D. Williams, and Meaghan A. Barlow also found a direct link between regrets and life satisfaction. The researchers looked at 31 past studies from 1989 to 2018 and found that people with higher regrets usually experience less life satisfaction and exhibit more symptoms of depression. However, the effect of regret on life satisfaction varies across people. Researchers conclude that's because people have different ways to cope with regret; some try to fix or let go, while others compare to others or change how they perceive their life regrets. Liu, the Olympic gold medalist, lives by the third coping mechanism, i.e., she has changed her perception of setbacks or failures. At a press conference, Liu explained she refuses to let any setback bring her down because of her simple mindset. "I don't think anything is going to be hard. You know, it's like, 'What is there to lose?' Every second you are gaining something; there is nothing to be lost," she added. 

Besides, Liu, in conversation with Andy Cohen, also explained how her fearless attitude towards 'making mistakes' actually helps her perform better under pressure. She said she loves making mistakes and isn't scared of failures, so when she performs, she usually focuses on the art without thinking much about the result. "I feel like no matter what the outcome was, I was going to be cool with it," Liu said, recalling her Olympic performance.

Meanwhile, people were in awe of Liu's response; for instance, @ladylaurencassidy commented, "She has really done the work to calm her nervous system and take charge of her life." Similarly, @lifelinewithdr.tina wrote, "She is so attuned to herself and so great at articulating what she feels and thinks. She does not bite the bait and will not be manipulated. A truly blessed human! How can you not love her?" @nancyahnmd commented, "Perfect answer!" She means what she says, not rehearsed, not coached! She is so mature, self-aware, and authentic... something I didn’t have in my younger years! She is so wise."

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