LETTER TO MY 14 YEAR OLD SELF

Dear Eric,

            It’s me…or you…or whatever you want to call me, but I’m sending you this message to let you know to never give up on your dreams.  I know that you spend the weekends now sitting at home on the couch watching movies with your parents or trying to hang out with your older sister, but there is so much more out there.  You need to start taking more risks in life and in fact, I already know you will.  I don’t want to spoil it now, but there are amazing opportunities headed your way and I hope you don’t deny a single one.  Trust me, in 5 years you won’t be regretting the things you’ve done but the things you haven’t.

            I know that there are things that run through your mind at night about who you are.  You wonder if people truly love you for you.  But, you’ll never know that they do if you never tell them who you really are.  You are unique and you should embrace this gift.  Someday people will love you for your confidence in who you are.  You will have more friends than you can ever imagine.  People will love you for who you are, but before they do, you have to show them.

            Yes, there will be times in your life that you will wonder if this is all really worth it, if you work so hard for anything.  This is me telling you that your hard work will never go unnoticed.  People can see a certain quality in you will always baffle them.  It is called passion, and it is one of your greatest characteristics.  Your passion is the stem of all your work ethic and every friendship you have made.  Never lose your sense of passion for the things you love because if you do, you lose what makes you special.  The ability for a human to care, is a characteristic that will attract people to their lives.

            I don’t want to ruin the rest of your life for you, but I want you to know that ever twist and turn will lead you to a new opportunity, every bump in the road will allow you to reflect on your past, every hill you rise up to will sometimes lead to a valley, but remember that the mountains are your destination. Every mountain has their highs and lows, but all paths lead to the summit.  Sometimes you will look in the mirror to see what you have passed, but never make a U turn and think that life was better back there.  Keep moving forward and don’t pause for a pit stop, keep moving and I promise that it will bring you places further than you can ever imagine.  Your destination is there, you just have to make the journey to it.

You’re the Best,

Eric (The future version)

P.S. Save yourself the trouble in high school and don’t take physics or AP US History.  It’s a waste of your time.