Stephen Koziel
Dear Future Me:
This is the time you’ve been waiting for your whole life. Just do me a favor, please. Please, please, please DO NOT EVER loose your sense of who you are. The upcoming months are going to be full of new experiences, friends, and places. Keep an open mind. Do not let anyone get in the way of your life – now or ever for that matter. Enjoy college. Take some comfort in the fact that you really did make the right decision and that everyone supports you completely.
Accept your accomplishments and remember why people look up to you. You’re an awesome, kind, loving, caring individual. Stay with people who bring these qualities out of you; stay away from the people who cause you to turn into someone different. You’ve spent 18 years of your life becoming the man you are today and it would be such a shame to throw it all away.
Years from now you’ll be reflecting back on these experiences and wondering if you in fact stayed true to the person you are. Take some advice from me:
Be present in the now, before college. Remember that trip to Amsterdam? What about London? Lord only knows – that could be the last time that you had to be a child without responsibility. Enjoy all of your opportunities.
Be nicer to your parents. You only have one set of them. Trying to push them away WILL NOT make it any EASIER for them when you’re gone. In fact, it’ll probably make them question if they did something wrong. Guess what? They didn’t.
Realize who your true friends are. These will be the people who were there for that 3 AM call, or when times got really rough. They will be the people that are there for you when you most need them. Keep them and cherish them. When going out and meeting people, remember not all of them will be your best friend or have your best interests in mind.
Trust those instincts of yours. If something doesn’t feel right – it isn’t. Have fun but be safe. See the above rule.
It’s okay to make mistakes while you’re trying to let go. It proves quite simply that you’re only human. College will be the time of your life if you let it. You’re starting off in a new place with a blank slate. Do not try to conform, rather be yourself. Always. So – jump off and dive right in. Let go of all your fears and embrace the unknown.
Sincerely,
Stephen