Dear 25-year-old me,
From what the 18-year-old me has planned for you (for what you see as the past seven years now) you deserve to take a minute and take a few deep breaths. I sit here typing this with so much ambition and vision for you, well me. My hopes for you are numerous, yet my requirement is singular. I hope you have travelled to at least a few places that you've always wanted to go to. I hope that you have continued living your life with the same positive attitude you had at 18. I hope you don't have any gray hair. I hope that you are proud of your college years as they are behind you now. I hope that you have discovered more about yourself than you knew in high school. And I hope that you never shied away from taking risks in college and living a little on the edge.
One of my favorite words right now is “Meraki” which means “to do something with soul, creativity, love, and passion; to put something of yourself into your work." With society’s standard of success being prioritizing money above happiness, I think it’s incredibly special to find someone living this way nowadays. Pursuing a career that makes you happy to wake up every morning and go to your job is vital. It shouldn't just be an option. I promise you that once you prioritize your happiness above the number of zeros on your paycheck, it will free you. It’ll free you from constantly competing with others who drive nicer cars than you, live in larger houses, even travel more. Regardless of if you want to be an artist, teacher, doctor, musician, you name it, you should love what you do. This leads me to my one and only requirement for you as you read this letter at 25 years old: live your dream.
Don't just dream, live it by carrying it out. The same societal standard that glorifies money over happiness has created a lot of bitter adults who might think dreams don't turn into realities, but ask those same people if they love their job and look forward to waking up in the morning to go to it and you’ll be able to decipher why they discourage you when you talk of pursuing your dream. Don't get me wrong, some days everyone would rather sleep in and not have to go into work, but you shouldn't dread going to a job that pursues a profession that you chose.
I bet you’re going to make the assumption that I’m a dreamer, maybe even naive to think that dreams actually have the potential of advancing into reality. Right now at 18, let me paint a picture of where I see you at 25. I see you in medical school, just about to graduate. I see you probably stressed out, sleep deprived and anxious about what the future will hold for you. All of these things sound negative so why am I looking forward to them? Contrary to popular belief, I’m a realist. Where I see myself in seven years, I can’t pretend to see myself traveling the world, carefree and rich, because it's not realistic. But more importantly, being rich isn't my ultimate goal. You love traveling. I know that hasn't changed. A person can learn so much about themselves and the people around them from it but being rich shouldn't be the end all place for anyone. You'll get to travel, I promise. If a person has achieved what it is that they wanted to in life and have been fortunate enough to make a nice living in the meantime, then so be it but don't strive to be rich. As overused as the saying “wealth doesn't buy happiness” is, it’s completely true. You know this already. You've known this your whole life. Make sure nothing and no one has changed your point of view on that. Strive to make something of yourself. To contribute to the world in some way. To make someone’s day just a little bit brighter. Right now, I see you accomplishing those goals by becoming a doctor but who knows what opportunities and experiences college have thrown your way. If you have changed your mind by 25, that’s okay. If over the past seven years, you've had the opportunity to discover something you are so remarkably passionate for, then I urge you to please pursue it because at 18, one of my biggest fears is not being in love with the career that I choose to pursue.
All in all, know that regardless of the career you have chosen to pursue, make sure your happiness is at the top of your priorities. You have never shied away from difficulty and I sure as hell hope that hasn't changed in the past 7 years. Never stop laughing, even at the crappy jokes. Smile and appreciate the amazing life you are living. Know that I am proud of you and believe you will go very far in life no matter the obstacles along the way.
With Love,
Yasie Nejad, 18
