A younger version of myself would write this letter saying that you hope to have the dream job, dream house, and all in the life you’ve always longed for. But as time went on you’ve finally learned that those things don’t mean anything unless the inner you is happy.

Therefore, I hope you are still striving to be the best version of yourself.

I hope you are taking risks while still riding the wave, I hope you wake up every day loving who you are and who is in your life, and I hope you are taking it one day at a time.

“If you aren’t in the moment, you are either looking forward to uncertainty or back to pain and regret.” – Jim Carrey

I am currently graduating in a little less than a month. Driving myself to sleepless nights thinking about what my plans are after graduation.

There are always questions about “What’s next?” and never what’s going on right here, right now.

Stressing about the future doesn’t make it any better, it’s only making my present less tolerable. Rather than stressing about all of the things that will be changing in 30 days, I should be soaking in all of the little things around me.

Soon everything will change, my address, job, and overall direction in life but as of right now, it’s all still the same, and I keep forgetting that.

I hope you cherish all of what New York had to offer you in the short four years you’ve lived here. I hope you remember how beautiful the sunsets were from the view of your first off-campus house.

I hope you remember the time you and your roommate sporadically bought a crazy orange cat off of Craigslist, I hope you remember how stupid it was to buy an animal being a broke college student and having to give her away because you simply didn’t have the time or money for her.

I hope you remember the day you met your soulmate. I hope you remember all of the laughs and tears you’ve shared with your teammates. I hope you remember how incredibly proud of yourself you are for making it this far in life.

I hope you remember that all you’ve ever wanted for yourself is to do things that’ll make you happy.

I hope the 26-year-old version of myself remembers the time I woke up extra early on a Monday morning to drive to the waterfront and listen to inspirational podcasts. You found one of Jim Carrey giving a speech to the graduating class of 2014.

He told a short story about how his father was just as talented of a comedian as he was but not as confident. He watched his father give up his dream and choose the safe route to make sure he could provide for his family. But in the end, his dad ended up getting laid off from this so-called “safe” job, leaving him and his family to do whatever was necessary to live.

Jim Carrey then told his listeners, “you can fail at what you don’t want so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

Take that quote and run with it.

Continue to learn, grow, and heal yourself. Never give up on what you’ve worked so hard to become.

In five years, I hope to still be improving my mental and physical health.

Remember your highs and most importantly, your lows so you can continue to learn from them. You are not perfect, and you are not a failure but you are a practice. You are a working progress.

Where you are in five years depends on what you do today, so keep doing what you are doing. No matter how many years from now, keep pushing to be the spontaneous and courageous girl you are. Doing so has brought you to exactly where you are, which is in New York experiencing life to the fullest.

A beautiful life begins with a beautiful mind, so continue to be kind to it and continue to be kind to yourself.