Hello me,
It’s four years later, and I just want to say that I am incredibly proud of the individual you have turned out to be. Your dedication and zeal to better yourself amaze me each and every day. I have never met someone like you who always champions growth and change. You should be very proud of the young man that you are becoming. You are becoming the man you have always dreamt you would and could be, which is fantastic. You will be happy to learn that not much has changed about your character; this makes you pleased since you have always said that you wouldn’t change your character for anything. I am glad you kept your accurate compass and continued letting solid morals and values guide your way. As we always say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. This is very true; in four years, you have grown tremendously, and I never imagined we would end up where we said we would end up. Though some things have changed, some have not, and I will tell you what these things are.
I know where you are and just how you are feeling. You have just turned 17, and you have just completed your fall semester of high school. You are incredibly excited and yet so anxious about what your future will hold. You are concerned about getting college acceptance letters and finding the best school to attend. However, the unknown of the future makes you fearful, and that fear turns into anxiety and, at times panic. You are concerned about success, and you are letting the insanity of your life plague your last semester. You are trying to justify this by saying that you are a planner. However, you know this thinking is slightly insane. Guess what? You are in a similar position now. You have just completed your fall semester of senior year in college and turned 21. You should be having a fantastic time in your life. However, you are beleaguered by fear. You are applying to law schools, and getting accepted. Yet, you are still unsure of the future and so afraid of making a mistake that you forget to live. You are more stressed now because you falsely realize that this is real life and there are no do-overs, and you will have to live with the consequences of your actions or inactions. You are trying to plan and micromanage your life and driving yourself insane. Sounds familiar? You are so paralyzed by fear that you neglect your personal and social life, and in the back of your mind, you are constantly questioning yourself about things you could or should do.
However, don’t feel bad; your drive, determination, and ambition have made you successful and a hard worker. You are learning the art of balance. You are learning to take time to relax and have a good time. You are learning that you are not always in control and that God has the final say. You are learning that your life is predestined, so enjoying the ride is essential. You are learning how to relieve tension and stress. You are combatting your fear of failure. This process has not been easy; sometimes, it seems easier to just give up and revert back to the ways of old. However, you know that you need it, and more importantly, you deserve it. It’s ok if your life doesn’t go the way you planned; nothing in life ever goes as planned.
If I could offer you one piece of advice, it would be simply to enjoy the ride. Life already moves extremely fast; no need to rush it; enjoy being a kid; you have your whole life to be an adult. Don’t forget the importance of the journey. Everything that happened happened for a reason, so don’t try to overthink it or stress over it; simply enjoy the ride!
Love,
Your older and wiser self!
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