Dear 18 year old Me,
Hope you are doing well in your dreamy teens. Its almost time for you to step out into this big bad world, away from the safe nest of your home. A host of decisions and choices to be made, awaiting you along the road that lies ahead. So, before you embark on this ever changing and surprising journey of the next stage of life, as your tomorrow and a well wisher at that, I would like to share with you a few learnings that might help you pick the right option (or atleast the better one, for who knows what is right and what is wrong), when it is your turn to make the choices.
First, this is where you decide what you will be driving yourself towards as a profession for the rest of your life. Unless of course, you do have the wild side in you to make a drastic change and go all out to take a new direction in life irrespective of the stage you are in. And knowing you, I would say, you don’t quite have that wild side in you. So, whatever you choose now, has to be something that you will enjoy for the rest of your life. If there is one thing I have learnt over all these years, it is that, you have to love what you do and do what you love. Else, you will end up exhausting and emptying yourself up. So, don’t care what the world thinks should be the obvious choice for you. Don’t follow the herd. Choose the path your heart calls out to....even if it is the lesser advised one. Explore, and experiment now. If it is literature or history that your heart beats for, then go for it. Who cares if the world thinks a rank holder should only pursue a certain path in life. If it is veterinary sciences that is your calling, then go for it. Who cares if people think it has nothing great in prospects for you. Listen to your heart, and trust the calling.
If ever there is an intuition based choice that you need to make, and there are irreconcilable differences between what you feel and what your parents do, that just don’t seem to get sorted, then go with what they say. Trust me, it always works better. Don’t ask me why, for I don’t exactly know. May be its just because you were born out of them, so somehow their senses work for you in mysterious ways.
Know that the world isn’t a nice place. There are faces behind the masks that you do not always see. So learn to look behind them. Do not be wary of trust, but know that blind faith can kill. Don’t be naive, trust, but with caution.
Know that in the end, you are always alone. Friends, family, partners, jobs, etc. - all will exist, but none with the guarantee of unconditional and unwavering presence. There will be many that will just walk away, and as they do so, leave you baffled. There will be moments, sometimes the hardest ones, that you will have to survive alone. Life is such. So, remember to always take care of that self that will be your only unwavering support. And if at any point, you need to cross over that line of fear, to get to something you need, do it without letting the hesitation hold you back. Do not put everyone and everything before that line as it doesn’t matter in the end. But if you do then the burden of regret that it results in, will be painful and sometimes impossible to carry for the rest of your life. Never empty your self for anything or anyone.....no love, no bond, no power, is worthy of that.
And last but not the least....the Piscean dreamer that you are, dream, but dream of many. Because dreams do break, and trust me, so many will. So never make a single dream vital.
And that’s all I have got for you. Hope you live long, live happy, and live better than your double aged self.
Love,
Your Tomorrow.
