A Letter For My 20-Year-Old Self

Open this if you're early in the process.

Photo via Hoong Photography // Circa 2017

You don’t need to care so much.

You can relax if you want.

But at the same time, it’s good that you care. It’s good that you’re willing to bleed for something.

It’s only a problem if you’re unhappy.

You don’t need to care so much, but the more you care, the further you can go. The more you’re willing to give up, the more you can get out of something. The greater the sacrifice, the bigger the prize.

The early part of any experience is the hardest. It’s the most unpredictable, with the highest chances of failure, turnover, or quitting.

Here’s the advice I wish I’d received at 20 when I was a blue belt who just wanted to do Jiu-Jitsu for a living — even though he didn’t know what that meant or looked like.