Current time: 11-24-2024, 10:15 AM
A letter to your past/future self.
#1
Partially inspired by this: http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/a-phot...75_2525092

...And a few talks over in Warframe with RR people, here's a thread where you can write to your past self or future self. It's been almost 8 years since RR was founded, and well, let's hope for another 8, and maybe we can look back at ourselves and laugh/cry/rage or whatever emotion hits you. I am reluctant to share these to be honest, as they contain a lot of my honest feelings towards myself largely, and by extension to others, but I guess I'll start anyway:

To my past self at the day he discovers RR sometime before September 2006:

To Rick of the past Mar 2006.

Hi, this you/me 8 years from now. You'll think this is stupid or dumb because you're the type who doesn't trust anything, even yourself and you'll be as stubborn as ever.

You'll procrastinate a lot, and even now I'm still battling the same demons. I'm begging you to start now, just start. You'll still be a rotting "clean slate" after all these years. Looking back, you won't even begin to fit in your own personal definition of long term success. You're too short sighted and risk/pain adverse to do anything, or even start anything. You could have saved some of your teeth if you went to the dentist earlier and got over "the pain of doing so" instead of not facing the pain for long term benefit. You could have made a living instead of spending time at home hating yourself because taking a job you don't even remotely like would be "selling out" yourself, or let's just be honest, you're just afraid of the pain of looking for one.

When you do get off your ass, do make the most out of it. You'll start great, but end with a whimper. In spite of it all, you'll still harshly judge yourself even if others think what you've been doing was good, if not great. That just means you have potential, the potential for something huge, but please start on it, whatever it is, it'll be great. I can't tell you what it is, because I have to look for it as well, if not create it.

You'll be as passive as ever, even after you get a post graduate degree, you'll still revert to your old ways. Too proud to ask for help, yet too lazy to help yourself. The answer is simple: Swallow your pride and get off your ass. Easier said then done of course, even as I reflect on those words, I still have yet to do something.

However, not all is bad and a bleak lost cause. You'll find something you like with a passion, it's just unfortunate that it won't make any money. Let's face reality here for a bit Rick.

You'll find someone to love, one who is far superior to the one who just said no and has captured your heart for 3 years. You won't get to keep this other one, but damn, just the experience will be well worth it, you don't get called a hero by some, but it surely made the difference for her and she knows it, it'll be like GTO's 2nd opening if you'll remember. Therefore, don't think that it's over, greater things will come for sure.

You'll meet the best group of friends you'll ever possibly have because of a game. Sometimes you'll think it's to good to be true, but it's a reality I am living in right now, these are friends you'll keep and friends you'll treasure. These words don't do justice on how awesome these people are, they've given you friendship, lessons, lives, and an identity.

Love your folks, because they deserve it, and they deserve more then what you and I have been showing them all this time, and it's never too late to start. They're still alive and well right now, but they deserve even more love and care from the likes of you and me.

And most of all, please love yourself. You deserve better then this, but you have to create it with your own hands, you have to move your gifted self, get off your high horse, and start. You are guaranteed success and glory but only if you start and maintain what you do.

Well that's it, I do hope that these words get through that stubborn you and me at the same time, for I am still facing the same things as of today, but as I always say to everyone: "(I am 'always' hoping for) all the best (for you and me)"

Cheers
From Rick of Mar 2014

To the Rick of the future:

Dear Future Rick of 20XX:

You might be cringing in pain right now as you read this post, or you're a changed man and understand what you've just been through. Given current trends in your self, you're prolly still sitting in your computer at home w/o work because you're too lazy/afraid to look for one because it's such a pain or you're just hate the feeling of being rejected, because everything has to be a success in your little delusional world or else it's not worth doing.

Please prove me wrong.

Prove me wrong that you're not stuck in this self-made prison I am living in right now. That you've somehow broken free and accepted that getting rejected is part of the game, and that you've overcome that obstacle somehow.

Once you've overcome that obstacle, please to tell me about that one job/venture you accepted and stuck with. Tell me how your everyday is not a chore anymore, and that it doesn't consist of logging into the internet, looking for "something to pass the time" and avoid responsibilities to your self and the future. Tell me about the new people you meet at work; some of them might suck, but there'll be good ones for sure. Whether good or bad, they'll make for interesting stories to tell.

Tell me about how you found job that you like, and how much you look forward to it everyday. Tell me that each moment is no longer a chore, but a challenge to be fulfilled.

Tell me about how you and your good friends grow old together. It'll be fun knowing the misadventures I have yet to see. Tell me how much they've grown, found their calling, found their soulmate, fulfilled their destiny, and somehow you were there to help or witness that happen. You might not see each other that often, but even the last time they were well would be good enough.

Tell me about the girl you eventually find that surpasses the last one you went after, and how you did your best to get her. Whether you succeeded or failed, it is surely a more interesting story then the one that I had.

Tell me that family is still well and good, and that whatever tried to tear it apart was resolved or prevented in part because of you. Tell me how much you love our folks now and there in the future.

Most of all, please tell me that you finally learned to love yourself. To love yourself enough to give yourself what you deserve: Happiness.

Sincerely
A semi-cynical, jaded, emotionally overcharged, but hopeful Rick from the past (3/3/2014).

Hopefully I don't have to edit anything as to preserve the integrity of my words. So I'll likely just leave this here, spelling and grammar mistakes intact.
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#2
Thanks to Leperman for starting. I would also like to urge members to slightly refrain from joke time comments and stuff in response to the quotes to be put here, as these are sorta serious, and in posting these here, we are sharing a part of ourselves to everyone.


To my past self on January 2008:

To Mark Jason Ting of 2008,

Hello. This is you/me/Mark Jason Ting 6 years from 2014, 6 years from now.

I know that you will most likely be surprised, and mesmerized as well. But please try to read with an open mind.

Congratulations on finally graduating from college. After all those years you are finally getting into the corporate world. I know how you feel-you are most likely very excited at the idea of finally earning money, and finally be able to fund the things you wanted. Congratulations on this.

There is so much I want to tell you about your future self, who is me, but I will choose to withhold several events and key points, as I do not want you to know in advance the things and happenings that you will encounter. I want you to learn as we always have, through firsthand experience with no prior pointers and cautionary reminders.

I am aware that you might ask some questions, so I will pre-emptively answer them.

No I am still single
No I do not own a car yet
No I have not “made it” and have become lucky and got rich.
Nothing much has changed.

Let these answer your most general of questions, as I expect you to be curious.

At this point in both your life, which was once a point in mine, you are still very energetic, and very enthusiastic. I urge you to always keep being motivated, and to be always driven with a goal in mind. I do not mind how small or big your goal might be, but always stick to a goal, and pursue it till you achieve it. I, at this point in my life have sadly had our innate drive and enthusiasm reduced by a lot, stemming from a lot of trials and painful experiences. While I will not tell you what these are, I know that you and I are the same. We are strong. We are resilient. Please continue to be so, as it is a cornerstone of who we are.

No matter what happens Mark, please keep going. Please keep going headstrong into the fray. Never falter. Never waiver in your resolve as you will achieve great things in a couple of years. Even you will get surprised on how much you will achieve once you have done so. Please, always keep going-and if you fail, learn as you always have. I encourage you to make a lot of mistakes-for without these, you will not gain wisdom and strength. There will come times where it will get SO hard, SO hellish that you would want to kill yourself. I had felt this still, but I implore you, beg you even, to stop feeling that way, and to pick yourself like you always have, move on, and more importantly, LET GO.

I will tell you right now, you have not met yourself yet. Not yet. But you will soon meet a group of friends that will surpass any other group of friends you have had. This group will make you realize who you are, and will help you embrace your true self. This group will also give you your drive to achieve the great things you will. I am still with this group of friends, and I believe that I will definitely grow old hanging out with them as well. They are one of the most precious treasures in the world to me. They will finally enable you to think to yourself, and say: “this is who I really am”

I know that it is also hard for you to express how you love your family, but I know you do. Try harder. I have realized in the last couple of months that I would throw away some of the most important things in life for them. Please show your thankfulness to them. Just so you know, they are still doing well.

In closing I know you will probably now be in a state of wonder about “what will I achieve? Who will I meet?” Please do not think too long about this, and focus on your goals for now. You will soon slowly realize and achieve these. I, even at this point, am still going sideways. I am still trying to get somewhere. I am still trying to get to where my heart is telling me. I have fallen out of the right path a lot of times, as you will over and over. But now my goal is clear, and I will not let anyone or anything stop me from getting there. You will soon find out what this goal of mine is, as it is in you-you just have not realized it yet. But I know it definitely is in there. I know, of course, as you are me, and I am you. We are one and the same. For now, good luck in all your future endeavors, and I hope that my letter to you will prove helpful to some extent.

Hang in there dude. Keep going.

Mark Jason Ting of 2014.




To future Mark

To the Mark Jason Ting of 20XX

Greetings. I’m your past self from 2014. how are you?

I am indeed bristling with questions as you will definitely expect. I also am aware that you will most likely not be too surprised or shocked, as you will definitely be even more composed than myself at the moment.

Have you finally gone to Japan? Have you finally succeeded in fulfilling the goals that we were/are aiming for?

If you are indeed in Japan or have found something to finally raise our family from our financial slump, I would like to congratulate you on doing so. I will not ask as to how or when, or what were the mediums in doing it, as it will definitely render me aware of it, and might potentially alter the result.

If you are still stuck in the same place as I am, still going sideways, still wandering about, I would like to ask, why? I will not immediately try to blame you for whatever the cause, as I know that both of us are subject to the same external random things that have hit us time and time again. Just tell me what happened, even if it is not of detail. I will definitely understand.

I would also like to ask, have you “let go”? I know that we both know this deep inside. That we hold grudges, that we get bitter at times, and reminisce on “what could have been” I am still trying to, and have been doing better in doing so. I hope that, you have completely done it, as it will make me really happy knowing that I have finally succeeded with something in my life.


How is our group of friends? Are they doing well? I am excited to know about them in the time period you are in. Have they finally raised our successors? Haha! Please tell me how they are doing in your time.

I also hope that our family is doing well. I hope that mom and dad finally are able to relax and leave most of the work to us. They have done so much for us and I am still sad that I am powerless to give them their deserved rest. If you still feel some resentment for them, please, forgive them. Life is not always fair and like to you and me, they have had external factors determine their fates as well. Please let go of your resentment if it is still there. How about Andrew and Carla? I am pretty sure that they have found their calling, and am hoping nothing but advancement for them. At this point I have taught them all that I could, and that I hope that you continue to give them advice and guidance if they happen to stumble. You are, after all, their supporting pillar.

Are you still single? I know that we both take this not-so-seriously, but if you are not, tell me about your girl. And tell me that she is actually someone that I will also come to appreciate. If not, then it is okay. We both know deep inside that we are okay with not having a significant other if we don’t get lucky enough. It is okay.

In closing I hope that you have finally made it in a way. We really need some sort of break for us, and I do hope I find mine soon. As for you, I urge you to remember the people who helped you, remember, the ones who never gave up on you, and who were with you till the end. One single human being can only do so much. If you have also lost your drive, please rekindle it, as it is one of our innate strengths that will always keep us going in life. Forgive yourself if you haven’t, and learn to finally let go if you have not. If you have done all of these already, I can rest easy and think to myself that I will grow to be someone I can be proud of, and keep going on this path.

Thanks for your time in reading this.

Mark Jason Ting of 2014.

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