My Letter to My Roommate

"Drowning Fish" — that was the title of a book I saw while traveling in the library. When I read it, I thought of myself, you, and so many of my friends who are surrounded by good opportunities but have problems finding the right path and to fight for it, yet somehow remain passive, not truly trying.

Good morning. Good evening. Maybe you’ll read this in the morning, or perhaps you’ll stumble upon it in the dead of night when boredom strikes.

I’m sharing some thoughts on your behavior, which, to me, reflects parts of your personality. I hope this letter doesn’t cause you too much discomfort, but sometimes honesty stings a bit.

When I first met you, I thought, "This guy is smart." But as time went on, I noticed you weren’t serious about your future, your health, or your studies. Sure, you behaved like anyone would when they first arrive in a new place, trying to adapt. But once things settled down, I realized that despite looking smart, you weren’t living wisely. And now, I have a few questions for you:

Why don’t you respect yourself?

I often see you mindlessly scrolling through reels or Telegram, sometimes for hours—2 or 3 a day, easily. Don’t you realize that social media is designed to deceive your mind, to manipulate you into staying longer? Do you see that the real reason you keep scrolling is to escape reality, distracting yourself from what truly matters? Why let these distractions steal your most valuable resource — your time — every single day? And those friends who call you at midnight or drag you out aimlessly… do they respect your future? Tomorrow is just the result of today. Nothing will change unless you act now. You don’t receive success; you create it. So, if you believe in this, why let anyone or anything derail you from building the tomorrow you want? Sometimes saying “no” today is actually saying “yes” to tomorrow.

They say “self-discipline is a form of self-love,” because it’s doing what is right for you, not just what you want in the moment. So by that logic, an undisciplined person isn’t showing self-love, and can’t respect themselves enough to build a better future. Right?

Why don’t you care about your sleep?

I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve stayed up all night, only to sleep into the morning (and, by the way, you’ve woken me up 16 times so far!). Sleep is your most basic tool — it’s the foundation of everything you hope to accomplish. Without it, you're setting yourself up for mental and physical breakdowns, and your performance will suffer. If you don’t believe me, take 30 minutes to do a little research. Go on YouTube or Google it. I’m confident you won’t find anything that contradicts this. You’re missing something that’s so fundamental, yet within everyone's grasp.

Why don’t you strive to be different? Why not more?

I’m not perfect either. Now and then, I get lost in YouTube. But months ago, I stumbled upon a podcast clip where someone said, “Why do what everyone else is doing if you want a different outcome?” No one wants to be stuck in mediocrity. But if everyone’s wasting their time and chilling, why would you follow that same path? Being normal is fine. But accepting mediocrity and not taking life seriously? That’s what sets people apart.

Why don’t you dare to be a fool?

I’ve seen you hesitate — shy or afraid to try new things. But you’ve come so far; you have countless chances to grow. You could learn to cook, join a new sport, or surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. It’s not the day of your graduation that makes you someone, it’s your daily actions, the risks you take now, that will remove the dark shades clouding your future. Don’t fear looking foolish or failing; maybe you are a fool. But what matters is what you do today and in the days to come.

I know all this might feel too personal, maybe even unfair. Perhaps I don’t see everything. Maybe you are more than what I perceive. I’m sure there’s more to you than I realize. But I just want you to live with your own purpose, not be swept away by the currents of this vast ocean.

Your roommate Samandar, 29.09.2024