Letter to My Future Self
Dear future me,
How are things in the future? Are you happy, healthy and wiser? Have you found the purpose for your life?
I write this letter in February 2021. It is one of those lazy mornings at work where there is work to do but you choose to write instead. Writing is something i have always done, except that lately, i have curved out a little space for myself on the internet where i post my thoughts. At the moment, not many people read my articles but that doesn’t bother me because i do it for the love. I don’t care less if no one reads this letter, what is important is that you read it.
A lot is happening in my (or our) life, future me. I know that i don’t love my current job but i continue to do it because i need the money. I know it’s a valid excuse but it’s still an excuse nonetheless. At least i still give it my 100%. Kudos to me, right? I am broke right now, I just live each day as it comes. Today, am not so sure where supper will come from. Yeah, that’s how broke I am.
I am thinking so much about what side business to do, which business ventures to invest in, and yet i don’t even have the money yet. But my hope is undefeated and i know money will come. I still raise my head high, even when everything around me is broken and in pieces. I’m so strong. I think it’s the prayers i say every morning. They help me a lot.
Sometimes i feel so down and alone, but i have seen that reading numbs most of such negative feelings. In fact reading has helped me so much in my life. But you know that too. Remember those books i used to read when i was a young boy? I need to thank my mother for buying me all those books. I am so much better because of reading. I know it today as you know it in the future.
Right now I’m trying to figure stuff out. Like i said earlier, I’m thinking of starting a couple of businesses, though to be honest what I have at the moment is the desire. I don’t have a fully fledged plan yet. But I’m working on it. I hope when you read this you’ll know that I finally figured out what I wanted to do, and that even when i was tempted to give up many times, I didn’t.
I am thinking so much about my family. I have big plans for them, like the house I want to build for my mother, the Fuso I want to buy for my father to assist him on his farming. Then there are my siblings. I want to go on a road trip with them. I want us to bond. All these dreams require a lot of work. I am old enough to know that wishing and doing are different things. That am learning the hard way.
By this moment i have come from very far. Most of what I have accomplished I attribute to luck. But I have also worked so hard. I have always believed in myself. I hope you still do, older me.
In my teens i used to have big dreams. I wanted to travel and see the world, play volleyball on a beach in Europe, visit that popular museum in France, watch a live Manchester United match and meet Denzel Washington and tell him how John Q is still one my favourite movies. What happened to those dreams? Will i ever see them through? I hope so. Perhaps by the time you read this, future me, there will be amazing stories to tell of those experiences.
There is a lot I have learnt in my 26 years. You do remember Covid-19, don’t you future me? The year 2020 — how things got so fucked up everywhere! Well, it’s 2021 and things are still messed up. Wearing a mask is now a fashion trend. We call it the new normal. Vaccines are being rolled out, so there is hope. But only you, future me, know how things eventually went down. Had Covid-19 come to stay, or did it eventually end just like the other pandemics before it?
Anyway, I should tell you that I have learnt so many things. Some of the lessons I had not learnt well the first or the second time. I’m re-learning things and correcting many mistakes. I am even making it a habit to put something aside for the rainy day. I’m learning a lot (on twitter) about investing, and plan to invest in a number of businesses. Hopefully as you read this, most of the investments I have made have paid off.
I’m trying to be a better person everyday, emulating Charlie Munger’s mantra of going to bed having learned something useful — everyday. I believe this has been beneficial, hasn’t it? As you read this letter, you’re probably wondering how naïve I am (or you were), or how scared, or even blind. I know that i don’t know much, but i am eager to learn. Heck, i’m learning everything i can about many things. I feel more curious than ever before in my life. And yet you know how this stage has been so beneficial to your life, older me. Do you remember this part of your life?
I see that I am becoming mature. And I now have a lot of responsibilities. So it means that every decision I make matters. Time for fooling around is not there anymore (though i still have to have a good time as much as i can). This world is tough, and I need to be tougher. There is this book by 50 Cent that I am reading. It is called ‘Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter’. It has reminded me of my own history. Where i come from and how far I have come. And maybe, future Steve, if ever you begin to forget your background, you might need to pick the book up again and read it once more.
Finally old self, it’s possible that some things may not have turned out as expected. That’s okay. But am doing my best to focus on the fundamentals. I am setting an excellent foundation for your success. I am reinforcing my mental models, I am thinking about businesses, am taking my relationships seriously and I am developing a character — PRINCIPLES. I am working harder and smarter and being hopeful. I want you to be proud of me when you read this letter, and know that I didn’t let you down. That I gave it my best. If you have kids by the time you read this, and they are old enough to read, you can show them this letter.
I hope, future Reuel, that my hard work didn’t go to waste. That you are wiser now, and wealthier — not only in terms of money, but in your relationships, and your health too. And hopefully you can write back, even though I may be the same person writing.
Your hopeful and younger self,
S. R. M.
