Dear Self in 2025: Embrace Your True Self with Confidence

As I sit at my desk in late 2024, watching the plane tree leaves flutter down in the cold wind, I feel compelled to write to you—a year ahead. The confusion mulled over in the quiet of night and the unease hidden among crowds now converge into a simple wish: that in 2025, you will truly learn to be unapologetically yourself.

1. You Are the Unique Protagonist of Your Story

I recall an encounter last year with a college classmate at a café. She shared her joy over a recent promotion, while I, stirring my coffee, suddenly felt inferior. We started from the same place, yet I seemed stuck. Such moments of self-doubt can overwhelm like a sudden tide. But then I read Haruki Murakami's words: "No matter what the world says, I believe my feelings are correct." It struck me—why measure myself against others' life paths?

We are often swayed by external voices: curated snippets on social media, colleagues' casual mentions of salaries, well-meaning "advice" from relatives. These weave a web of "shoulds." But remember, in 2025: life has no fixed answers. Last spring, I finally enrolled in the illustration class I'd longed for. Despite the two-hour commute and red-marked drafts, the joy of holding a paintbrush was a happiness no standard of "success" could replace.

We live not to fit into others' templates but to shape our days into a form we love. As a song I often hear goes: "I am who I am, a firework of a different color." This uniqueness is life's greatest gift.

2. Moving Forward Is the Best Stance

Do you remember the sudden downpour this summer? I waited at the bus stop for an hour, drenched and unable to hail a cab. The helplessness brought me to tears. But as the water receded and streetlights lit up again, I realized: life is rarely smooth, but as long as we move forward, we'll find our path.

In 2024, I faced project failures, drifting friendships, and nights of silent tears. Yet each morning, I'd brew coffee and plan new goals. As the saying goes: "It's okay to walk slowly or take small steps, as long as you keep moving." At a recent company book club, a senior colleague shared her experience of returning to grad school at 35. She said, "Life isn't a sprint; it's a marathon. What's important is maintaining your own pace."

So, if you encounter setbacks in 2025, don't stop. The scars from falls will become medals of honor; the tearful nights will teach you the power of a smile. Like the plane tree outside, though its leaves have fallen, new buds are quietly forming—if winter comes, can spring be far behind?

3. Reserve Gentleness for Yourself

Do you remember last year, worrying about a colleague's overtime, you took on extra work, leading to three all-nighters, only to receive a casual "thanks"? That disappointment made me realize: excessive self-sacrifice is a disservice to oneself.

We're used to considering others but often forget our own needs. Like how Mom always tells me not to overwork, yet I reserve care for others and fatigue for myself. Now I understand: everyone has their own challenges. Just as doctors can't take medicine for patients, or teachers can't take exams for students, we aren't responsible for others' lives. You can be passionate without overextending; you deserve love, but not at the cost of self-worth.

Lately, I've been practicing mindfulness meditation, spending ten minutes daily to ask myself, "Was today joyful?" or "What needs my attention?" These simple acts have helped me truly hear my inner voice. Remember in 2025: loving yourself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. As Oscar Wilde said, "To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance." This romance starts with embracing all of yourself—your strengths and flaws, successes and failures.

4. Let Emotions Be Your Friends, Not Masters

This autumn, after a presentation mishap, I stormed out of the meeting room in anger. Later, seeing my colleagues' awkward expressions, I realized the harm of emotional outbursts. Emotions are like floods: suppressing them leads to breaches; unchecked, they cause harm. Only by coexisting peacefully with them can we master ourselves.

Now, when emotions surge, I try deep breathing or a walk in the garden. As the saying goes: "Act when clear-headed, read when confused, reflect when alone, control emotions when angry." I recently read Emotional First Aid, which suggests treating emotions as visiting guests—observe, accept, and ask, "What do I need now?" This approach has taught me to guide emotions with reason, rather than be led by them.

In 2025, remember: emotions are gifts, signaling our inner needs. Anger may protect boundaries; sadness may release pressure; anxiety may urge growth. By dialoguing with emotions, you'll find they are guides to self-understanding.

5. Distancing from Draining People and Matters Is Respecting Life

Recently, while cleaning my phone contacts, I found many I hadn't spoken to in a year, kept only to avoid offense. Deleting them brought unexpected relief. As the saying goes: "Anything that drains you isn't worth a second glance." Life is like a moving train; people board and alight. What's important is choosing your fellow passengers wisely.

I recall a social event last year where someone belittled my work and advised, "Women shouldn't strive too hard." I forced a smile but felt upset all day. Now I understand: true friends respect your choices and support your dreams, not make you feel drained. As Kazuo Inamori said, "Relationships depend not on how good you are, but on whether you hold the corresponding chips." These "chips" are not just material but also spiritual independence and self-consistency.

In 2025, courageously set boundaries. Ending draining relationships isn't coldness; it's self-respect. Saying "no" to trivial matters isn't selfish; it's valuing your time. Remember, life is for experiencing, not for pleasing others.

6. Strengthening Yourself Is the Firmest Confidence

This winter, I finally obtained the long-awaited certificate. The joy wasn't just in the paper but in knowing the countless nights of study and declined gatherings behind it. As Kazuo Inamori said, "The greatest shortcut in life is to strengthen yourself." This strength isn't for show but for inner fulfillment.

I once thought "strength" meant earning lots or holding high positions. Now I see true strength as a calm mindset: facing life's blows with composure, believing in your ability to rise from lows. Like the documentary I saw last month, where the protagonist, after a failed startup, learned baking from scratch and now runs a cozy bakery. She said, "Strength is being able to take root and bloom wherever life throws you."

In 2025, continue growing. Whether learning new skills or hobbies, each effort adds to your "chips." But remember, strength isn't to please others but to give yourself the freedom to choose and the confidence to embrace the life you desire.

Now, the streetlights outside illuminate the falling plane leaves. 2024 is ending; regrets, confusion, and tears will become the past.