A message to my 20 year old self.
Hey man.
It’s you 10 years from now.
You’re in your final year of post-secondary and you have absolutely no idea how hard the world is going to slap you in the face. Not once. Not twice. But a million times.
You’re not going to like it. I can guarantee you that.
You’re going to struggle for months trying to find a job. You’re going to struggle financially. You’re going to go through some of the darkest periods in your life. You’re going to take bigger risks — some good, some bad.
Let’s face it bud, you didn’t come from much and just the fact that you’re nearing the finish line is a big fucking deal. So keep that in mind. University wasn’t fucking easy so let’s not use that as a humble excuse.
I still remember the sleepless nights. The nightmares right before an exam. The damn “prove that 2+2=4” assignment we got in our first class that we pulled an allnighter for. You won’t ever forget it. Trust me.
You will question yourself whether marketing was the right career choice. But the industry will change in your mathematical and scientific favor. Just be patient. You will look back and be amazed about how things worked out.
You also won’t forget all the people you met. The influences in your life. The activities you joined. The impact you left on your peers and for the University through your passion of dance. I’m still dancing today man — so keep on moving. Don’t stop dancing. It will keep your sanity in check.
The next 10 years of your life is going to be a roller coaster.
You will make some of the biggest decisions of your life in your career, your friends, your colleagues, and yourself.
I wish I could tell you that it will all be happy-go-lucky. That you will work a single job for the rest of your life. That you will love. Be loved. And be fulfilled in every aspect of your life.
But no.
Remember what you told yourself when you were 16, “what you do in your 20s will set you up for the rest of your life.”
Keep that in mind.
As you will soon realize, that mantra includes all the ups and downs in the next decade.
But you know what?
It’s all good.
You have a roof over your head. You’re freelancing with great people as partners, clients, colleagues. You’re living. You will start to travel and explore the world. But you only achieved this because of what you did in your 20s.
You did it for yourself. And for Grandma (let’s be real and yes — we still nickname her G-Ma because she is “thug like that”.)
You busted your ass to be independent. Despite the stereotypes. You hustled like a motherfucker. You overcame some of the biggest life and career hurdles the world will throw at you. You will win. But you will lose a whole fuckload more.
You will regret at first but man. Let me tell you. You will be happy you experienced those hardships really early on. Because it’s made you a better, more experienced person today.
You’re confident because you know what you are doing. You practice what you preach. You lead by example.
But it will take all 10 years of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice to get there.
By no means are you satisfied at the end of it because of your insatiable appetite to elevate.
I’m writing this to you as a look back into my past. As we all do at multiple times in our lives to see how far we’ve come. If we are still on the right track. To continue moving in this direction or pivot.
I’m writing this to you as a look into the future of what’s to come next. Your 30s are going to be whole new experience. I don’t know what it will entail because we just started living it.
But y’know what. You earned this.
Be Human.™
Sincerely,
You.
Andrew Yang
Marketing + Sales Architect & Dance Artist
iamandrewyang.com
