A letter from Mar 10, 2026

Dear Future Me, If you are reading this letter, then six months have passed since the day I wrote these words. Right now, it is March. For you, it must be September. Six months is not a lifetime. But it is still long enough for a person to change, grow, or completely waste their potential. As I write this, I am still a 12th-grade student. Just another school-going boy trying to understand the world and figure out what kind of life he wants to build. But you… you are not that boy anymore. By the time you read this, your board exams are over. That phase of life is finished. You are now officially an 18-year-old adult stepping into the real world. No more school identity. No more “just a student.” You are now responsible for the direction of your own life. And honestly, I don’t know where exactly you are right now. Maybe you are studying in a university. Maybe you somehow made it into Krea, Ashoka, or Azim Premji University. Right now, from where I stand, Krea feels like a long shot because the chances of getting financial aid are very slim. Ashoka also seems uncertain, considering the AAT performance and the overall strength of your profile. But Azim Premji University… I have hope for that one. The entrance exam and interview are complicated, but something in me believes there is a possibility. And maybe none of that worked out. Maybe financial aid didn’t come through. Maybe you decided to take a drop year. If that’s the case, that’s okay too. Because college is not the most important question. The real question is you. Who did you become during these six months? Did you grow, or did you just pass time? Did you become stronger, or did you stay comfortable? How many books did you read? Not for exams, but for understanding the world. Did you learn things that changed how you think? What about your skills? Right now I strongly believe something very simple: In this world, degrees may open doors, but skills build the house. So tell me honestly — what skills did you develop? Did you seriously work on cybersecurity and cloud security? Did you go deep into it? Or did you just “think about learning it” without actually doing the work? Because the goal right now is very clear. Before you turn 20, your only real mission should be skill development. Hard skills that make you competent. Soft skills that make you effective. Did you learn how to communicate better? Did you become more disciplined? Did you improve your ability to think critically and independently? And what about your personality? Are you still the same person who wrote this letter? Or did something inside you evolve? Did you become calmer? More confident? More aware of the world around you? And then there is something I know you tend to ignore — your health. Right now, when I’m writing this, you’re not in the best physical shape. Nothing terrible, but not something to be proud of either. Did you start improving it? Even small daily effort can transform a body and mind over time. Did you build better habits? Did you take care of yourself physically and mentally? But beyond all these things, what I really want to know is this: What is your view toward life now? Did something shift in your mind? Did you experience some kind of awakening — even a small one? Did you start understanding people, society, and yourself more deeply? Because the goal is not just success. The goal is evolution. Evolution in thinking. Evolution in character. Evolution in purpose. And I hope you are still committed to the path you are thinking about right now. Cybersecurity. Cloud security. Building something meaningful in the future. Are you still working toward that vision? Are you documenting your growth and sharing your journey online? Because growth becomes real when it is visible — both to yourself and to others. And there is another thing I hope you did not abandon. The Robin Hood Army drives. Did you continue going there? Those kids need people who are willing to show up. Go teach them. Go spend time with them. Not only because they benefit — but because experiences like that keep you connected to the real world. They remind you that life is bigger than your personal ambitions. Six months is a long time. You should be wiser than me now. More mature. So I want you to answer something honestly. Did you level up? Did you actually become better than the person writing this letter? Because right now, the Ashutosh writing this letter does not have much. No impressive achievements. No special recognition. Just a computer. Curiosity. And a lot of ambition. I am trying to build skills from scratch. Trying to learn. Trying to write. Trying to care about animals and stand for them when they cannot stand for themselves. Trying to slowly become someone meaningful. So wherever you are right now, remember something important. The person you are today is the result of the small choices I am making right now. And I hope you respected those efforts. Before I end this letter, I want to ask you one final question. Do you still believe in the rule I am trying to live by? A simple rule, but an important one. You are free to do anything and everything in this world — as long as it does not harm any sentient being. Because if this is the only life I get… Then every other living creature also gets only one life. Their existence is just as real as mine. Their suffering is just as real as mine. So I hope you are still trying to live with that awareness. Not perfectly. But consciously. So wherever you are right now — in college, at home, building something, or still figuring things out — remember this: Never stop evolving. Become stronger. Become wiser. Become kinder. Become someone your past self would be proud of. And most importantly, Never stop becoming a better version of yourself. — Ashutosh (March, six months before you read this)