Dear Future Me,

As an assignment, in the beginning of your high school senior year you wrote a letter to yourself, and then again as the year closed. You told yourself to believe in everything you already know. You said to follow the road that you are already on and to hold fast to your dream. I'm here, a little later now, to give you another introspective perception, something we both know you are keen to connect with.

Your life has changed so much over the course of time. And undoubtedly it will go through many more changes, that I can assure you. I know deep down, as much as you hate to admit it, you are uncomfortable with change, scared of it even, especially any that may have significant effects. It's frightening and I get that, but that tentative inner-self has prohibited you from maximizing your potential each and every day.

You're an idiot sometimes, but you know you mean well. We all mess up, and you can't beat yourself up all the time for every mistake and setback. Happy, influential, and successful people learn lessons from their failures and push forward for the better.

Sow the seed. If your plan is to do this-this-and-that, prepare to accomplish that goal. Don't make excuses for everything about how you have no time, no money, no space, whatever. Just do it and make yourself everything God has laid on your heart. Those dreams are still on your heart for a reason, God doesn't just put them there for nothing. But you can't cultivate the harvest of blessings if you don't plant the seeds first.

Write more. You think far too much and remember an insane amount of information and description not to write about it. Almost every night, you used to delve into typing up your book you're writing, even to add a minor segment or an afterthought. You've allowed your passion to take a backseat to many other 'priorities,' and it's all just excuses. You know it helps get everything off your chest too. Writing is your outlet, remember that, please.

Don't stress out about everything. Honestly, calm down and relax once in a while. Take some time for yourself and breathe. Not everything has a major impact upon you. And not every little thing needs to be done according to how you think it should.

Wing it. Honestly, it hasn't failed you yet. You get too stressed out when you try to plan. Let life come to you, and roll with the punches. Don't try to force anything. The doors that are in front of you aren't always meant to be opened. You have to choose the right one. So, you have to be thinking clearly in order to decipher which is best to walk through. Finagle everything because that's you, that's what works best and produces the best results.

Keep the people you love close to heart. While you go through the process of trying to make a name for yourself, applying that business mantra to every aspect of your life, remember why you're doing what you're doing; to make other people happy, to make other people look to you in a positive light, and to inspire them to be the best they can. Don't lose sight of that, or you're entire dream will collapse.

Be a blessing. If you have a chance to help someone or go out of your way to make someone's day, do it. You're in a position to do God's work, feel good about yourself, and put a smile on someone's face.

Be sentimental, and nostalgic, soft and emotional. Who cares about everyone else. Be who you are and what works for you, don't try to change for anything or anyone. You've made it this far being you, so do everything your way. Put your true self into everything you do, so that anything you touch is genuinely affected. That's how this all makes sense in the end.

Above all, listen to God. He has a plan and you know that now more than ever. At times you may question Him, but dig deep and realize how much He is doing for you. Hardships may be lessons, sacrifices may be tithes, and stagnancy may be patience. His plan supersedes anything you have in your constantly running brain, so channel your energy in a manner that coincides with His way. Everything in life works smoother that way, you've seen it for yourself many times.

It's a crazy path you're on. Don't overthink it all. Be passionate. Use the time. Be at peace. Pray about everything. Love.

Until next time,

Chris DeGusto; The end of summer '16