This weekend marks the infamous “birthday weekend,” a time when many of my friends and I celebrate another year around the sun. It seems like a strange coincidence that so many of us were conceived nine months ago around the holiday season — maybe a testament to the magic in the air during that time. However, beyond the festivities, turning 21 this Sunday holds special significance, and it’s a milestone that has me reflecting on my journey through life thus far.
Over the years, I’ve grown to appreciate the importance of self-reflection and self-improvement. Birthdays serve as natural checkpoints for this introspection, and they often spark a desire to set new goals and aspirations for the future — almost like a New Year’s resolution. I’ve found that taking the time to step back and acknowledge the current state of my identity helps me identify my strengths and weaknesses and set realistic goals for the upcoming year.
In the past, I’ve written letters to my future self using futureme.org as a way to reflect and document my experiences. It started with writing letters every Thanksgiving and expanded to any time I felt like having an intimate conversation with my future self and telling them about my aspirations and the challenges I’ve faced. One year, I wrote about my hopes of getting into a competitive high school, and the next year, I was reading it as a student at that very school, facing an entirely different set of experiences. On another occasion, after an unfortunate online AP Chemistry exam in 2020, I wrote 2000+ words about my general experience and frustrations as a senior in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic. I sent this letter to my future June 1, 2025 self, and I can’t wait to read this piece of my personal history. This ritual of self-reflection is something I’ve noticed tends to intensify around these milestone moments like my birthdays, and I believe it’s a shared experience among many.
As I approach my 21st birthday, I’ve found parallels between these letters to my future self and the lessons I’ve learned during my college journey. Much like the letters, college has been a dynamic ride filled with unexpected twists and turns. It’s a time when personal growth is inevitable, and each year brings new challenges, goals, and perspectives. Just as my younger self couldn’t have predicted the person I’ve become today, I’ve learned that uncertainty is a part of life, and it’s okay not to have all the answers right now. But it’s not just about facing challenges; it’s also about celebrating the moments of triumph, both big and small. Our birthdays, especially milestones like turning 21, are perfect opportunities for such celebrations. These moments remind us of how far we’ve come and how much we’ve achieved.
I’m using this birthday weekend as an excuse to reflect on a practice that has helped me stay grounded and maintain a forward sense of direction. I encourage anyone reading this to take the time to get to know themselves better. Embrace self-reflection as a powerful tool for personal growth and consider documenting it in a letter to your future self. In a few years, you’ll be able to look back at the rawest version of yourself during this time and see how far you’ve come. Preserve this snapshot of your thoughts, dreams, and goals in a time capsule of your essence at this very moment. You’ll be amazed at how those words will resonate with you down the road, and who knows, they might just inspire your future adventures!
