Letters have been meaningful form of self-expression for me since age 12; I am one of the few people I know who buys stamps year-round! My house contains boxes of letters I’ve saved, birthday and thank-you cards, notes from students, longer missives from friends & family, and a whole separate box of letters I’ve written my dad since his death.

I wrote this letter to myself—for real, by hand—while flying home Sunday from visiting a dear friend. I’ve never really done that before, and it felt good. I decided I would share it here, transcribed & unedited, in the hopes you’d find some value in it and/or be inspired to write a letter of your own. I plan to write more letters going forward: offline first, then transcribed here. A letter to my body is next, followed by a letter to my ambition. I’m excited to see what will emerge from this process, and to share it all with you. Thanks for being here.

Hey you—

Happy Birthday! Being alive is wild, and you’ve gotten to dance around on this planet for over 4 decades now - that’s pretty darn cool. And you have really done the thing: pursued your interests, loved well, explored lots of different ways of thinking & seeing, put yourself out there in myriad ways. You’ve been a contribution—you can’t deny that to those you’re closest to, yes, but also to students, readers, and lots of folks whose lives have been impacted in ways you may never know. Which is okay—you haven’t been this way for any particular outcome, but rather, because you believe this i the way to be (for you anyway, in this life. Lots more humility & lots less self-righteousness than in past decades. Life’ll do that to you if you let it.)

You are a good person, Nishta Mehra. You are not perfect - that’s not and has never been the target, can’t you see? More love, more joy, more art, more truth, connection, compassion, care—these are the footprints we want to leave, aren’t they? How can we whittle ourselves down towards being ever-truer to this mission?

Trust yourself, Nishta, even if you make sense to no one but yourself and your God. Trust that you have put in the work, because you have. Trust that what you need to know will be shared with you by generous sources. Remember that you wish to live with no regrets. Believe that you can walk yourself through whatever you may encounter, with the support of all who love you. Love is free, baby girl, and it is your birthright. Stop acting like you need to hustle to prove your worth. You know better.

Ultimate reality, the one that will be with you as you take your dying breath: this is the only reality that matters. It’s understandable that we become distracted by the overlay of illusion, for that is its intended purpose. And—you have cultivated wisdom these 41 years. Choose what matters to you, where you wish to invest your precious energy & attention. Be here now. This is all there is, and isn’t it gorgeous?

Hold what you know close, and for goodness’ sake, let yourself celebrate! You shine bright, precious one.

xoxo

Nishta