A letter from my 30-year-old self

行尽天涯静默山水间

Tokyo Marathon 2025

Dear Sichen,

I’m glad you’re here.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re going through something. Or maybe you’re bored. Or maybe you just need a reminder of who you are and what you stand for. Either way, I got you. That’s why I took the time to write this letter on my flight back from Canada.

I love you. You’re an amazing human being, and you mean so much to me. I hope the words below give you confidence, courage, or even just a little smile.

1. Blend love with pride and humility

A sunrise hike in Yangshuo, Guangxi on Jul. 30, 2018

• Love and be loved, in that order.

• Be proud of yourself, your career, and the people you had privilege to serve.

• Be proud of your Chinese roots.

• Know your limits before pushing them.

• Listen more. Talk less.

• Seek to understand before seeking to be understood.

Hiking up Mt. Fuji on Jul. 11, 2016

2. Check in on your loved ones, including yourself

Family Reunion in Kunming on Aug. 12, 2018

• Life is short and fragile, health is the foundation.

• Put your phone down, get out there, embrace your life offline.

• Make extra time for those who remember your dreams and witness your journey - not just your achievements.

• Be patient when building relationships. Be decisive when cutting off toxic ones.

• Let people and things go. You don’t need to speak behind anyone’s back.

Visiting friend in Brisbane, Australia in December 2024

3. Never lose childlike wonder and emotional resilience

My first Co-op interview on Jan. 24, 2015

• Be curious. Be open. Look for hidden gems.

• Cultivate good taste.

• Accept reality, and keep investing in your future.

• Take control, in its wider sense - just watch them.

A Sunday afternoon in downtown Vancouver on Jul. 21, 2019

4. Add value to others with peace of mind

Last day at GM Canada on Jan. 24, 2025

• Understand what value to add, and what not to work on. Focus.

• Authenticity, ethics, integrity, responsibility - these are expensive, but they’re worth it.

• We’re all doing sales work in some form. Know your customer. Know your audience.

• Very few people follow up - so do it.

• Do the right thing, at the right time, for the right people.

• Say no when something doesn’t feel right.

• Remember: a promotion does not guarantee happiness.

Stopping by Apple Park Visitor Center during my trip to the Bay Area during Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in 2024

5. Aim for excellence for yourself, but forgive those who disappointed you

Panorama Ridge Hike on Aug. 3, 2019

• Choose meaningful and difficult problems to solve.

• Start with the part that makes you the most uncomfortable.

• Challenge your thoughts with counter-arguments.

• Think different. Always ask: what are the misconceptions here?

• Ask for feedback. Keep improving. Ask people to challenge you.

• Don’t expect others to change, or hold them to your standards. Encourage, engage, enable.

Sunset at London Bridge in Australia on Jan. 7, 2025

6. Life is both a marathon and a sprint

Sunrise at Apple Park on Feb. 18, 2025

• Get up early. Many good things will come your way.

• Understand the value of strategic planning. Know when to be proactive or reactive.

• Manage your time and energy wisely.

• Then, focus on the present. Be patient. Trust the process. Have fun.

• Tired? Take a break. You’ll feel much better.

• All of this creates space - for confidence, for clarity, for that final-mile sprint (it's fun).

• Sometimes, you need to sprint to catch an opportunity.

Sunset in Markham on Sept. 25, 2024

0. Action precedes motivation

D.T. Suzuki Museum, Kanazawa, Japan in 2016

Life is good. Be happy now. Let it go.

Your best friend,

罗司辰

May 7, 2025