To the one who needs three cheers

Hey,

I have seen you gaze at that mountain countless times, wondering what awaits at its summit: a golden sunrise, a crimson-splashed sky, a cool breeze, and whatnot. Yet, you never found the courage to climb it. Now, however, it is time to take the first step. You spent days working out scenarios: What if you fall? What if you feel thirsty and run out of water? What if you are unable to breathe? What if a bear attacks you? Well, you always tell yourself weird reasons each time you think about it.

You even second-guessed your dreams and wishes. You kept asking me questions: ‘Do I truly want to climb it? What if, instead of trees and flowers, all I see is barren land? What if I am welcomed by wild animals instead of birds humming unknown tunes? What if all my dreams come crashing down, and I just lay down, not knowing what to do?’ And then, I saw you contemplate the possibility of your imagination carving into reality, to live the moment you’ve experienced multiple times in your dreams. Yes, it’s a chance you have to take, one that can provide you with everything you’ve ever wished for.

All you have to do is hold the rope tightly and take the first step of a journey you’ve always dreamed of. Yes, you might come rolling down, you might even get eaten by a bear. But even the tiniest possibility of seeing all those beautiful things you’ve wished for will make you want to take that giant leap of faith. I know it’s hard for you to believe you’ve found the strength to think like this. I know you’re scared. I know you’re anxious. But I also know that you’re happy and hopeful and choose to hold onto that.

There you are, gearing up to climb the mountain you always promised yourself. As you take baby steps, you should know you are not alone. I have seen you weep, laugh out of pure joy, tremble with fear, and find yourself again. Trust that you have me to hold you when you feel tired, to motivate you. It delights me to see you embrace this new sense of positivity. I will always be there to instill in you, the courage to be hopeful and accept yourself. Above all, I want you to know I will be there to remind you of the endless treasures life can offer, and how deserving you are of all those things.

Cheers & hugs,

A cheerleader

To the one who is seeking reassurance

Hey,

I know it might seem overwhelming. Everything appears straightforward yet complex, or is it the other way around? Various opinions and suggestions have been flying around, creating a sense of you being all over the place. Your mind is filling up with questions, and you wonder if there are enough answers. However, let’s take a moment to pause and tune into that inner voice.

I understand that you seek reassurance, but it’s not always the world’s responsibility to provide it. Sometimes, you have to find reassurance within yourself. Not all questions come with ready-made answers; some require discovery along the way. Now, do not present me with that book on damage control. While preparation is essential, let’s not forget that you first should start traversing the road. I have always advised you to be aware of the distinction between seeing what you want to see and seeing things for what they are. I understand that you will never be blinded, which is why I ask you to be vigilant—not just for signs of possible danger but also for the silver linings.

You’ve always been the person who keeps her armor close by. Even while being hard on yourself, you were always protective of your emotions. You don’t always need your weapons ready with your vulnerabilities hidden in an iron shell. Not everything is a battle you need to fight; sometimes, life can offer you a journey to find new meanings. Listen to yourself a bit more than you listen to others. The future remains unknown, but seek out its promises. After all the calculations and drawing Venn diagrams, what is it you truly feel?

The world around you could be chaotic, so let’s not turn deaf to the voice of reasoning. There are always two sides to the coin, yet we still take our chances. Awaken the poet in you and travel the road not taken. Like I always say, go easy on that dreamy part of you. She deserves to be happy; never is it a sin to dance out of joy. I know you can smile, but it’s okay to laugh too. No matter what, I will always be here—to lend my shoulder, whether for warmth, to celebrate, or to step on and march forward. I’ll always be ready with that extra cup of hot chocolate.

support & chocolates,
A reassuring self

To the one who is afraid to smile

Hey,

Do you know when a person is the most beautiful? It is when one smiles straight from the heart, devoid of any worries or anxiousness. I saw you trying to smile but noticed your eyes welling up with tears. I wanted to hug you tight, but I understood that you might burst into tears, and that’s not what you would have wished for then. Nonetheless, you should know that I’m here for you whenever you’re ready. You don’t have to share anything, and I won’t ask any questions. I’m here to listen whenever you feel like confiding in me.

It is natural to have bad days, and all of us are looking for a ray of hope in anything that comes across us. I know you are afraid, and I also know that you are anxious. I am not here to ask you to run the extra mile or do anything to take your mind off whatever that is worrying you. I know you are doing everything it takes to get yourself back on your feet. All your hard work and struggles are recognized, and do not let anyone, not even your self make you feel any less validated.

What I wish for you is to never disconnect with your happy self. I’ve seen that side of you – the radiant, loving, and innocent version. You have no idea how much I have been waiting to meet that version of yours again, to tell you how much it means to me to see you happy. While you may not have been the most enthusiastic person, you always had a zest for life. Amidst all this, I do not want you to be distant from yourself. I know how it feels when all you have is hope, and all you long for is that hope to come true. All of us are fighting battles of our own. I don’t want you to lose yourself in the process. All that we try and do is to make sure we get past this.

You may win the battle, but if you’ve lost your spirit, then it will be in vain. It is those tiny moments of joy that will fuel your vigor to fight. Refusing those moments of happiness won’t lead to a meaningful victory. Do not persuade yourself that you’re undeserving of it. The smile that lights up your face despite all the chaos within you is the silver lining you are looking for. I am here to pick you up when you fall, pat you on the back when you win, and rejoice when you celebrate. No matter what happens, I’ll always be with you, and that’s a promise for eternity.

Hugs & reassurances,
A loving friend

To the one who is in search of a reset button

Hey,

I know you would have thought about this at least once. What if you get to reset everything and start afresh? Well, it is tempting, but what would you have done differently? Would you have been more cautious, more understanding, less judgemental, more practical, or more impulsive? Well, the what-if scenarios never end. Everytime I get posed with an inconvenience, I wonder if I would get a chance to change everything, things that I think went wrong in the past.

We are generally very hard on ourselves, at least I am. We can be our worst critics, but we often take a step back to give ourselves credit where it’s due. I have seen people who themselves are their biggest cheerleaders, and I wonder whether things are easy for them. Well, we never know. Sometimes, we should cut ourselves some slack even while being the worst critic. Maybe it’s not the past that we need to change but ourselves.

All those things that you think you might do differently now, what age were you then? What did you even know about the world? If you think about it, it is those things that made you the person you are today. I am not asking you to sweep your past actions under the rug. The very fact that you are retrospecting them and that it helps you introspect your thoughts now is the biggest takeaway.

I know all this would not make sense when you are having a bad day and are holding yourself responsible for your actions. But give yourself some time. When your mind is clear of all the self-criticism, self-loathing, and judgments, think about ways to rectify them. Look for ways to shed that baggage, move forward, and help yourself. One should be responsible and accountable towards oneself but do not forget you are human too.

Not even for a second should you think that it is just you. I was in pursuit of this reset button for a long time, and sometimes I still am. But deep down, we do know that it doesn’t exist. It is a matter of accepting it and finding the strength to face things the way they are. I know how easy it is to preach these things, but if only you can exercise them at least once, it will bring you hope. As everyone says, nothing is constant, and things will keep changing. When you get the opportunity to change and do things differently, grab that chance. I believe it is your past that makes you the person you are today, and it is your present that makes you who you will be in the future. Let’s not lose out on a better tomorrow by holding onto the past, for there is no reset button, only a future yet to be built.

Supportive & understanding,
A work-in-progress self

To the one with dreams, ambitions and wishes

Hey,

Everyone has dreams, and you too would have many. People often confuse dreams, wishes, and ambitions as the same thing. To me, they are all different. My ambition is to have a satisfying career, while my dream is to build a life together. My wishes can be categorized if I put them analytically. Some of them are common, like the ones everyone might have on their bucket list. But that is not what I want to tell you about. Do you also have these sets of wishes you know are so simple, yet not that simple? You want to live them, but you cherish the idea of them so intensely that you are scared if they happen, you might no longer be able to hold on to them. Does it even make any sense? Well, I don’t know.

I have a set of fancy wishes that I hold close to me. I live them vicariously. Whenever I have a bad day or feel filled with some kind of nostalgia, I think about these little wishes of mine. They’re not huge; they’re tiny things that make me feel good. They help me escape into another world where I’m not bound by my everyday problems. They take me to a world where I can smile without the uncertainty of what will happen next, where I don’t need to fear judgment.

If I were to think about it, I could easily make them come true, but I feel I might lose the warmth or the hope of a future once I fulfill them. They provide me with comfort, which keeps me going, and the motivation to be a better person. Sometimes, it is the idea of the wish we love that we create a delusion around it. We brew stories and hypothesize. I could make them all happen, and there isn’t anything stopping me, but somehow, I am in love with their idea that I fear losing it.

You might think I’m insane or borrowed some fanciful idea from the novels I’ve read. But I feel this is what makes me the person I am. If you give it some thought, you might also have such weird little wishes you hold so close to you that you have fallen in love with them. If they materialize, they might not live up to the standards you set, and they might disappoint you. It might not make any sense, but you cherish the idea so much that you are scared that you will be left with nothing, without any hope.

Procastinating & hopeful
A dreamy self

To the one who has it all figured out

Hey,

I enjoy reading books, and currently, I have many books at home, all written in a language I do not know. There are books written in English available online, books that I have wish-listed. However, I find happiness just looking at these books, knowing I cannot read them until I learn the language. This is precisely how I prioritize and choose among things.

Am I missing the obvious? Why am I searching for hidden words when there is hardly any meaning? Why do I tend to exaggerate the smallest of things while I ignore well-stated facts? Why do I oscillate between fiction and reality when I am well aware of the bridge between them?

I want to dance. I want to scream out loud. I want to run. I want to fly. I want to breathe. My hands are tied, my legs are numb, and not a word comes out of my mouth while I wait to bare my soul. All it takes is just a word, but you do not know the struggle that lies behind it.

It all seems simple yet complicated. I am constantly revisiting the past and continuously being anxious about the future. Amidst all this, I forget the present, the only reality that matters. I ask myself if this is what I want or what it is that I want. I seek answers, yet I see no solutions.

Do you have it all figured out? How does it feel not to worry about uncertainties? Is it as simple as saying, ‘Don’t be anxious about the future, just relax’? People often advise taking risks, but I find myself torn between practicality and romanticizing life. I yearn for days when I don’t merely live vicariously but make my dreams a reality. Does a perfect balance even exist? I’m not fragile, but I can break too. I’m not running away; I fulfill my responsibilities by doing chores and paying my bills. I’m not oblivious, and what I need isn’t a reality check. What I long for is a smile, a pat on the back, and reassurance that I’m not the only one, that I am not alone.

Lost & yearning,
A tired soul

To the girl who loves writing letters

Hey,

I know you have always loved letters, especially hand-written ones. Well, I agree; they are indeed unique. You may not have received many of them, but I know you still cherish the ones that you received. To me, they symbolize effort, patience, love, and warmth. More than the content, this is what makes them close to my heart.

My journey with letters started when I was around 3, just a toddler. Whenever my mom wrote letters to my grandparents, I told her that I too wanted to write. Well, I could hardly pronounce words or speak proficiently. The funny part is that she used to let me write. Back then, it used to be inland letters, a sheet of paper of fixed dimensions where you write the address on one side, and on the other, you write the content. So, at the end of each letter, my mom left a small space for me to add my writing. But I did not know how to write; still, I had too many stories to tell my grandparents. I guess nothing could stop a determined toddler. Each sentence used to be a circle; let’s call it my script. By the time I finished writing, the bottom part of the inland letter would be full of circles. My mom used to post them, and I have no idea what my grandparents could understand.

Recently, I came across one of those letters; yes, they still had it. I was happy to see those circles because I could imagine the excitement of 3-year-old me. I could sense the warmth and love I had felt while writing those letters—well, circles. It’s been years since I wrote a letter. It’s all about emails and chats now, and why not? They are convenient. But recently, I saw an Instagram profile that encouraged sending handwritten letters, and it reminded me of how much I love them. I cannot send out letters now, so I thought of writing them here. So this will be a series of letters addressed to those individuals I believe should receive them. It’s also a way for me to connect with myself.

Love & warmth,

The nostalgic self