22 years down the road...

Dear 40-year-old Sydney,

I hope you find yourself in a good place, and most importantly; happy. That is my hope for my life. No matter where I am, what I am doing, or what my financial situation is, I want to feel alive and be happy. As of right now, it is not my intention to work a 9-5 job for the rest of my life. With the tragic death of Nelson Mandela that occurred today, it got me thinking. I do not expect to be even close to the same caliber of this man but I hope, by the time I'm 40 years old, I have achieved something that positively impacted the world around me. I think this is more important that material wealth or celebrity status. I want my family to be proud of what I've become and what I've achieved to inspire them to greatness. It will be a complete surprise how or when or where this goal is reached because I do not know in what direction my career is going but this unknowingness excites me. It gives me the opportunity to explore my interests and options. I hope we're happy because that's what I want for us.

Yours truly,

18-year-old Sydney

Whatever you are, be a good one. -Abraham Lincoln