Your best will always be enough
A letter to my future graduated self
Assignments have been submitted, grades have been received and I have cried for the first time. In all honesty, I am a super emotional person so I am surprised that it took me three weeks for the water works to start after submitting. Everyone processes differently, but no matter how long it takes, it must be done. It’s not something that hits you once then you move on with life, it happens in phases. I was crying a week before submission as my mind prepared for the end of the beginning. Now, with that same momentum, I have a few words for the girl who will have a cap and gown and walk across the stage. I encourage you to write a letter to yourself to.
Dear Sakina,
It’s me, well it’s you from a month ago. I have just received my grade and I have a few words for you. You did it. We did it. Hopefully you are reading this before your graduation and need some words of encouragement, well I have a few.
Today is special because it honours all three versions of me; my past, my present and my future.
Younger Sakina who wanted to work in fashion and was told by her maths teacher to be realistic is now one step closer to that dream. She tried to work smart, but also worked really hard. She traded outings for all nighter study sessions, spent money on educating herself and developing her projects and overcame fears to pursue her passions. The me that had tears in my eyes as I sat in front of my laptop a week before submission thinking my work was not good enough, can not believe that we actually made it. Walking across that stage shows that it wasn’t all for nothing.
Present Sakina (me, the one writing right now) is equal parts exhausted and hopeful. Right now I am allowing myself to do nothing and just basque in the moment because I know that you will need the rest later on. I think I have come to a point where I can finally applaud myself. There is always room for improvement, something I could have changed, something I could have done better, but why focus on the hypotheticals. I am proud today. If all I have done, all I am is all I will ever do or all I will ever be - I am proud.
Future Sakina is looking back with appreciation that we took the first step. The road is uncertain, but our ambition, drive and determination is sure. We know what we want to achieve in life and why, the graduation is one of the stepping stones that solidifies this journey. Future you wants you to know that regardless of the uni, grade and degree you got - you should be proud of yourself because the personal development far outshines the assignments. 40 year old you could not have done it if you didn’t decide who you are now. Everyday that you try, you grow. Every attempt is a success. You did it.
