Letter to child about personal success

My dear child,
I am writing this letter in a hope that we will meet one day in the future. At this state I am a seventeen year old high school student. I have been given an assignment to write to my future child about personal success. To let you know right here at the beginning of my letter, I really believe that being a good parent is a sign of personal success. At this point I am not sure if I want to have a boy or a girl but I am certain that I have every intention of being a pillar of strength and support for my child. I know some people in their thirties that do not want to have children and I must say that I admire them for recognizing that parenting is not what they desire in their life. Do not let this contradiction confuse you. Knowing yourself and accepting yourself is a great success! As a seventeen year old teenager it is not easy to write about success especially to a future child. My values and beliefs may change in the process of growing up – however I will try to honestly and truthfully describe my idea of being successful in life. I am convinced that first step to personal success takes place in your thought. It is important to believe in yourself and decide what important things that you desire are. My mom was determined to put a writing on the wall in my room that spells “go confidentially in the direction of your dreams”. She says that only limits to your dreams are those that you place in your mind. The more I think about it the more I agree. When I look at myself in the mirror I realise that the person staring back at me is the only person responsible for my personal success. I need to figure out my desires and learn to visualize them and work hard on developing plans how to achieve my desires. I have to fill my mind with positive thoughts and give my self-affirmation. This sounds very easy but let me tell you something my child, it is very complicated. Especially for a seventeen year old who changes his mind about everything quite frequently including his desires. All of us want to succeed in life, to accomplish something, to feel that we “won”. Some people see success in having a loving family, others in having a job that pays a six figure salary. Some people see success in stuff they own. At this point you are probably wondering what success means to me. A big bank balance might be nice to look at but I believe that it can never replace the love of family and friends or the sense of satisfaction gained by doing the work you enjoy doing. I believe that there is no single definition of personal success. Success is about living your best life and only you can say what that means. Defining personal success is up to you my child. I have intention of reading you this letter once you are my age. I honestly hope that my definition of success will not change since I am quite proud of my idea of success right now. So, my advice to you is to be open, honest, and true to yourself. Find what motivate you and go boldly after your desires.

Your loving father,
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