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Noor Shahin

01 April 2020

To My Future Self,

This letter isn’t meant to convince you of anything. Both of us are aware of our strengths

and weaknesses - hopefully some of those weaknesses you’ve overcome. Instead, think of this as

a reminder of what you’ve vowed to yourself in the closing moments of your freshman year. The

value of these words lies in the possibilities of thought and interpretation you devote to them, to

their application to your life now.

I hope you’re looking back at me with not all negative thoughts. I hope you carry around

the things the past has taught you, and I have taught you, without letting them weigh you down. I

hope you’ve been embracing feeling vulnerable, making connections, and tending to old and new

relationships. Don’t get caught up in what happened a week ago, take in all of today’s

opportunities, because the only today you get is today. Problems will be thrown your way, but

through these adversities grows strengths. Expect these difficulties and force your way through

them.

I aspire to do big things. When you don’t think big, envision a life of abundance, you’ll

stay stuck in your bad habits because you have no reason to change. Remember you want to

make something truly great of yourself, to be the best version of yourself, but it’s not just for

you; your parents deserve those future cruises, their dream cars, and the happiness they feel

when you make them proud. But none of this means anything without your own happiness. So

with that, I ask you to be selfish at times, future me. Think about yourself more often than what

feels comfortable, more often than you’d like to. You’ve gone too many years letting people take
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advantage of you, and somehow the worst part about it all is that you’re aware of it. Learn how

to say no. Stand your ground and the right people will stay in your life. Don’t let your kindness

be mistaken for weakness.

In whatever stage of your life you’re in, don't forget about having a plan to maximize

your potential and success. Decide what you want it to be and let it take you through experiences

and decisions that will not only create but expand your lifelong learning and career goals.

Identify your weaknesses and create definite plans to bridge them. Rules, opinions, and

expectations throughout college will be carried with you for your whole life. When you’re self-

aware, the development of skills needed for both college and life are obtainable, so remember to

be self-aware. Self-awareness is a part of being emotionally intelligent, so remember to

recognize your emotions before you act. With that being said, I hope you’ve tried to stop

procrastinating. Don’t put anything that should be done today off for tomorrow. In fact, if you’re

even thinking about it chances are you should get it done, I know you sleep better that way.

Remember there is no substitute for hard work. Coach D always told us when you cut

corners, you’re hurting nobody but yourself. When you work hard, you’re allowing yourself to

develop, to become self-disciplined: your endurance grows. Life’s a sprinting marathon - there’s

no time to waste or you’ll get behind. My self-discipline has grown this year, I hope you can say

the same. I’ve felt more self-motivated which has helped me jump into things without needing an

urge from somebody else. I finally feel like I’m doing things for myself, not just to please our

parents with the magic letter A’s . I’m taking accountability because my future is mine, and I’m

the only one responsible if I slack off and mess it up.

Put 110% effort into everything you do. Be a person of grit, desire, and perseverance.

This isn’t just applicable to your academics, apply it to life. There is a distinction between those
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who are qualified and those who are qualified and motivated. Establish a reputation as being a

person who always renders more and better service than what you are paid for. The higher the

willpower you have, the higher your dedication, and when you are dedicated, you’re more likely

to achieve what it is you set your mind to. That being said, put all your effort into something and

let it handle itself. Stop stressing over the things that you can’t control. Stop looking so far into

your future that you lose sight of today.

Success is based on how you adjust yourself to the ever-changing environments of life.

Amongst the many things I’ve learned this year is to be adaptable. You have to, or you’ll be

easily replaced. The market is constantly changing, and methods that may have worked may not

be of use in one or two years from now. As a student, as an interviewee, as a future worker, this

quality helps you stand out because technology has shown no sign of slowing down, so learn to

use it to your advantage. Don’t be afraid of change, stay out of your comfort zone. I’ve been

doing a lot of that this year and it’s extremely uncomfortable, but extremely rewarding, even if

not immediately. I want to remind you to keep putting yourself in uncomfortable situations; the

experiences you get will show you a new perspective on your perceived limitations and simulate

life-long learning.

Everything I’ve written to you so far are things I’ve learned the importance of through

the classes I’ve had this year, the professional events I’ve attended, and thoughts I’ve had at the

end of all the long days that I hope you’ve been applying to yourself. Every class I’ve had, no

matter how insignificant it may seem, is teaching me how to learn. I want you to remember not

to get discouraged when there’s a tough class because everything is tough at its time - second

grade was just as hard as a kid as ninth grade was as a teenager, you’re challenging your brain in

every stage of your life. All my classes have helped my confidence in my abilities when I put my
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mind to it. I’ve found the value in giving a class your all in the beginning, because maintaining a

grade is much easier when you have a strong foundation. I’ve learned that my biggest obstacle to

reaching my goals is myself. It’s easy to unknowingly sabotage yourself in which case “you're

hustling backwards”, that’s what Dr. Marshall always tells us. These aren’t all the lessons I’ve

learned, there’s countless more ways I’ve grown as a student that have been integrated within me

without even realizing it. Layer onto the new experiences and challenges the nature of growing

up, and it’s no surprise that I’m growing academically and personally. I can back myself up on

this with the fact that my wisdom teeth are coming out, so I think it’s safe to say I have some

insight into the world, which ironically is very naive of me to say.

Master your craft. Whatever you’ve decided to do, remember to do it well. Don’t forget

where you’ve come from and how far you’ve gone. I hope you’re still naively optimistic about

the world, I think it's better than wallowing in cynicism. I hope you’re taking care of yourself,

and that you’ve made me proud. It’s hard to notice our growth between today and tomorrow, so I

hope you’re able to think about me and how much you’ve grown in these few years, give

yourself some credit. Finally, stop putting yourself down all the time, and you’ll start to see

yourself moving up.