Go through your old photos and find one of a younger you, preferably a photo from 20 or 30 years ago. Then stare at it a while. Notice how that person, though they are you, doesn’t feel like you.

I recently found my high school senior picture (Wellington Wolverines, Class of 91). I sat and stared at this kid for a while (sorry, I will sometimes refer to my younger self in the third person). What happened was disorienting. Yes, this kid is me, but it doesn’t feel like me. We’re two different people with different ideas, ambitions, and values. I also have a lot more gray hair and body aches.

It was disorienting but not completely unpleasant. The more time I stared at it, the more I felt like reaching out to this kid to talk to him about a lot of stuff. So, I wrote a letter.

Dear Younger Me, this letter is from you, a much older version of you. Don’t freak out at the photo. What? Did you think you could escape the reach of Father Time? LOL. Oh, LOL means laugh out loud. Yeah, language is quite different in 2025. You know, since I’m here, I’ll tell you a little more about life in the future; there are no flying cars or laser guns. There are smartphones, which don’t necessarily make you smarter. Just about everyone has one. There’s also TikTok. I’m not sure how to explain it. Just know that lip syncing and dancing in your bedroom for millions to see is the norm.

I have a lot to say to you, but let me start with: I never married, nor did I have children. I’m currently in a loving relationship, but family was not part of my journey. I know you had your eyes set on the possibility of fatherhood. Sorry, a lot has happened that got in the way. I’m not rich and famous, at least not in the sense you daydreamed about. I’m a public figure. I’m a radio host. Oh yeah, I work in radio. I’ve been going on in this career for close to thirty years. The job has been an unbelievable ride with a lot of ups and downs and a few loop-the-loops. All worth it.

I’m not in the best shape of my life. By the way, can I offer you this piece of advice? Eat more vegetables and don’t stop exercising. I mean it. This isn’t about what size pants I wear or if you ever kept that tight six-pack. Nope, this is about taking care of yourself. Once you arrive at this stage of life, you’ll start to think about your heart and other things a lot more. Anxiety could get the best of you. Trust me, I’ve spent more time in the emergency room these last few years because I thought I was dying.

Putting that public service announcement aside, I want to share with you some thoughts. First, I admire the hell out of you. Yes, I do. Look, I could laugh at a lot of the mistakes we made. Instead, I’d rather remember how those mistakes helped lead me down the path I’m on now.

You are someone with a great deal of ambition. Better than that, you’re also someone with a lot of imagination. If I had to make any judgment on you, it’s that you use fear as an excuse not to take chances.

We are different in other ways. Let’s look at goals.

You have goals and dreams that lie within you, which are still ripe and powerful within me. Those have yet to truly manifest, and not because I’m not trying. Approach life and say screw it. Jump ahead and do what you feel like doing. Many things won’t work out, and here’s the secret: they’re not always meant to.

You want to write that book. Actually, I’m working on three right now. If you struggle, don’t get easily frustrated, keep pushing forward. Write that damned thing and throw it out into the world. You’ll need time to really master the craft, so stop thinking that success has to come in the first try. That’s not reality.

You want to paint. So do that. Do that every day. That thing I said about mastery applies to all things. Becoming good at something takes time. Don’t procrastinate. And don’t be afraid.

Be better with money. No, we’re not filthy rich. And happiness will never come from that bank account. Not being in control of money will make it hard to be happy when you’re always drowning in debt. We’ve made a lot of mistakes on this, and it takes until this point in our lives when we finally get control of that shit.

Don’t take your family for granted. Life is going to take you to a lot of places. You will live in some strange spots. All of them will bring you so much in personal growth, and you’ll see stuff you can’t believe. Appreciate your grandparents, as well as mom and dad, and your brother. Never forget that family is the key to your true self. Family is at the core of your being. I say this to you because we have almost always lived this lone wolf mentality. Don’t. There’s nothing down that path that will serve you.

The future will seem discombobulated to you. Don’t worry. This is stuff we become acclimated to. Remain you, be you, and all of the changes won’t rattle you.

You ask, what’s different about us besides the gray hair? A longer fuse. We have a temper. You haven’t learned to keep it tempered. I’ve become quite masterful at hiding my emotions. It’s about how you alter your view of the crap. That’s the true secret to happiness. The world will do what it wants, and you can’t do anything about it. Don’t be fooled by some of the charlatans who will tell you about visualizing happiness and envisioning success. Remember that everything outside of yourself is not for you to control, nor is it yours to own. All you possess is your thoughts and opinions. Stand at the gates of those emotions and protect yourself from the stuff that can nest in your head and start to eat away at your soul.

Embrace chaos. Life is chaos. Sometimes you can manage the chaos. Other times, it’s a giant washing machine sloshing you around uncontrollably. Learn to go with the flow of shit.

I still have goals and dreams. What’s different is that I don’t work to achieve anything. I work to experience everything. This will be the most important thing I tell you. Life isn’t about achievements. You’ll learn that when you spend the final days with abuelo. All we have are our memories and the experiences we had in life. So spend your time acquiring experiences; your life will be much more fulfilling.

For example, I don’t write because I want to be a best-selling author. That’s your dream. I write because I love the experience of creating. I write because I love telling stories.

Am I happy? I know you’re thinking that question. More than you can imagine. And I’m not swimming in bliss daily. That’s not it. Again, embrace the chaos. I expect life to be strange. One day, everything is going smoothly. OK. Enjoy it. Tomorrow can become a hurricane with life blowing all your stuff around and throwing your well-laid plans into the abyss.

No amount of daydreaming or visualizing will change that. So get used to it. I don’t think life is about controlling the seas of your life. Instead, learn how to swim and get really good at holding your breath, because there will be days when you need it.

I am proud of you. Let’s face it. You are the man who becomes me. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to write back and ask.
Sincerely, the older you.