Dear Old Me,
It’s been an impactful and eventful three years; lots of people we’ve met and lots of places we’ve been, but if I could go back, I wouldn’t change anything about it. But that’s not the reason I’m writing to you. I am writing to give you some advice. I know that I would take advice from my future self, but that’s besides the point. The first thing I want to tell you is to always be yourself and don’t let anyone try to take your confidence away, whether it be a coach, a friend, or a family member; never let them take away your confidence. The next thing I want to tell you is always to work hard, no matter how you’re feeling. Stay grounded, humble, grind, and be the best that you can be. Always push yourself to your limits. Something different that I would tell you is to never procrastinate with your work. If it’s something that you need to get done, whether it be studying for a test or just studying so you get a better grasp on a concept, never put it off because if you do, then you either have to rush to get it done or you will just fall behind in your studies in general.
One of the most crucial things I’m writing to you in this letter is that, to protect your peace, don’t let small setbacks and minor issues affect your mental health. If you do, you will struggle, and it will show. Whether it be in the classroom or on the court, one small mistake shouldn’t define you or what you do in a day. Another thing I want to tell you is that it’s ok to struggle and work through challenges and make mistakes. If you don’t make mistakes, that means you’re doing something wrong. It’s a time for you to develop and work hard so you don’t make the same mistake. Even if you do make the same mistake, it’s ok and always try again. Work to do everything with 100 percent effort because you don’t want to half-ass it, and then you’re not improving or learning anything from it. I know what you may be thinking: what are the next few years of middle school going to be like? Well, one thing I can tell you is that you’re going to meet a lot of people, good and bad. It’s crucial to be able to tell the difference between them because you don’t want to be around the wrong people, who distract you, make you lose focus, get you off track, and end up getting you to do the wrong things. You don’t want that to happen. Trust me, you don’t. Overall, if you follow these tips and kinda let fate run its course, you’ll be good. There weren’t really lots of major setbacks that we faced, but I think with this advice I gave you, you should be fine.
Brian Cox – Latin School of Chicago – DMSF Class of 2030
Photo Credit: Mitrey – Pixabay