An Open Letter to 18-Year Old Me
“It’s time you realized that you have something in you more powerful and miraculous than the things that affect you and make you dance like a puppet.”
– Marcus Aurelius
Dear 18-Year Old Connor,
Read the great books.
Find strength in their words.
Study the Stoics—men who knew pain, loss, and hardship, yet still held on to their peace.
Think your deepest thoughts.
Don’t shy away from the dark places in your mind.
Write your biggest ideas down—every dream, every doubt, every hope.
The paper will hold what matters.
Chase your wildest dreams.
Never settle for less.
Push beyond what’s safe, what’s easy, what’s comfortable.
Because life is short.
The time to act is now.
Be happy with what you have.
There is beauty in simplicity.
There is strength in accepting the life you live, no matter how small it seems.
Find joy in the ordinary.
Keep your head clear.
Stay true to yourself.
The world is full of noise and chaos, but your truth is quiet and steady.
Keep moving forward.
Keep creating.
Keep loving.
The best life isn’t perfect—it’s honest.
It’s yours.
Make it strong with courage, with patience, with hope.
Pick up the pen.
Live with purpose.
In the end, that’s all that matters.
Love,
Your 28 Year-Old Self
P.S.
“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.”
– Marcus Aurelius