I heard Nassim Taleb say that "the single definition of success is – do not disappoint your 18-year-old self". Scrolling through my old private channel, I stumbled upon a letter I wrote to myself as a 16 year-old to be read after 10 years. Now that I'm 29, I thought maybe I should revisit it:
Dear future me,
I am writing this letter to let you know that I, your 16 year-old self, am a real mess at the moment. You know me, right? My sleep regime is so skewed that I'm not even sure if I can fix it. I go to bed in the morning or sometimes nod off long before sunrise. But I am certain you are not this kind of man anymore. I am sure you have already grappled with this long-time issue and called a halt to it. I know you are no more staying up all night just to keep yourself busy with seemingly important stuff. And I also hope that you have stopped binge-watching no-good TV series and that you are reading your favourite books instead. I believe that your body is at its finest now - that you have been working out and leading an exemplary lifestyle. I am also sure that you have quit chowing down on that fast-food you loved 10 years ago. But if you are still a slave to all your bad habits , you are not the kind of person I aspire to be! Screw you - I deeply hate you!
How is your family, by the way? Have you stopped making excuses to check up on your relatives and people who are close to you? Or did you simply let that opportunity slip through your fingers and regret not having seized it in time? ''Family comes first, my friend'', says your hypocritical younger self. I hope you are spending at least as much time with your parents, wife, and kids as you're spending on your work.
Speaking of work, are you still the kind of mellow guy you used to be a decade ago? Are you still trying to keep low profile? Good. Keep doing so. Aren't you putting profit above your true self? Haven't you conceded defeat against your greed just yet? If not, you have my respect man! I believe you have stayed true to yourself after all this time. I am not sure what work you are doing now, but if you haven't lost your identity, I'm sure you are on the right track.
With a spark of hope in his eyes
Ulug'bek from 2022, July 7th.
@ulugbekumidjonov