W2: “Dear past self...”

Dear Past Self,

 

            Why are you so stressed about your future? Are you afraid of becoming a failure in the future? If so, what does it mean to become a failure? Is people looking down on you considered a fail? Why does success and failure revolve around how people perceive you?  What about you? Will you be happy in a 9-5 job although it pays well and people say, ‘She’s successful.’? 

 

            While you are too busy mulling over the future, what is happening to your present? Why are you thinking about future, instead of doing something that will make you happy now? Instead of wondering how you are going to study a subject that you don’t want to in the future, why don’t you go watch that movie you’ve been wanting to watch? Don’t think about whether studying science is more important for the future than arts. Study science if that’s what you want and study arts if that’s you feel like doing in that moment. Just thinking is a tiring activity that involves your brain. By constantly only thinking about your future, you are wasting your energy and time which could be used to either study or paint. You keep thinking about the future and end up doing nothing remotely productive.

 

            The people around you are constantly asking about your aspirations. To that person asking you, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’, just tell them, ‘I will know when I grow up.’. It is sad that these questions start when you are in kindergarten where the only occupations you are aware of are doctors, police, and fire fighters. Maybe when you grow a tad bit older you will know what engineers and scientists are but are you truly aware what exactly the scope of the job is? There are many occupations out there that you are not aware of, so there is no need to rush into choosing an ambition. It’s alright to not have any dreams if you have moments where you can feel happiness (BTS, 2018, 0:47), and happiness comes from the present things that you do and the reminiscent of the happy moments in your past, not thinking about the future.

 

            When you do get a dream, please understand that it is fine to have any dream. Your dream could be to buy gouache or to go to Paris and it is fine to have dreams like that. You can chase after your dreams in your own way that will make you happy. There is no need to confine yourself into thinking that you need to become a doctor or lawyer to achieve your dreams, but it is also okay to have doctor or lawyer as your dream as well. Everyone is allowed to have different dreams so just have a dream that will make you happy no matter what others think.

 

            You have a long life ahead of you, so go at your own pace and happiness.

 

With lots of love,

Your future self 

 

 

Reference

 

BTS. (2018). 낙원 (Paradise). On Love Yourself: Tear. Big Hit Music.

 

Jaeguchi. (2018, May 20). BTS (방탄소년단) - PARADISE (낙원) (Color Coded Lyrics

Eng/Rom/Han). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g60P1VD2Lc

 

 

Name: Nisha A/P Vickneswaran

Student ID: 2100555