Letters to My Future Self: Today’s Decisions, Tomorrow’s Gifts

Dear Future Cem,

I’m writing this letter to you because I know how much you depend on me. My thoughts, actions, beliefs, and decisions today will shape your world tomorrow. It’s a big responsibility, and I’m doing my best to make choices that you’ll be thankful for.

Right now, I’m 45 years old. I’ve done a lot in my life, especially when it comes to work. I’ve started companies, made deals, and seen both successes and failures. But if I’m honest, there’s one thing I wish I had done differently: I wish I had taken better care of my health and strength. For too long, I let work take over everything. I didn’t make time for fun or for taking care of my body. But I’m lucky—I’m still pretty healthy, and for the last three years, I’ve been working hard to get even healthier. I want you, Future Cem, to be glad for the effort I’m putting in now.

Every time I make a decision, I think about how it will affect you. I ask myself if it’s going to make you upset or if it’s going to make you grateful. I imagine you at 80 years old, and I want you to be happy with the life I’ve lived. When we’re 80, the things that will really matter are our health, our family and friends, and being able to live freely, not depending on anyone else. All the stuff like fancy cars and big houses won’t mean much then. They seem important now, but they’re just distractions from what’s truly valuable.

I hope I’m making the right choices to build a good future for you. I’m trying to pick actions that will help, and I believe that if I do, things will turn out well for us.

Here’s to making decisions that will make both of us proud. I hope when you read this, you’ll see that I did my best for us.

Take care,

Cem Hurturk

February 13th, 2024