Dear Thomas, James, and Margot,
There will come a time in your life when you will stand at a crossroads, faced with a choice between the well-trodden path and the one less certain. The world will tell you to follow the safer route—the one that others have chosen, the one that conforms, the one that does not make waves. But if there is one thing I have learned in my life, it is that the road you choose for yourself, the one shaped by your deepest convictions, is the only one worth taking.
I have always had a strong belief in myself and my moral compass. Not because I thought I was always right—far from it—but because I knew that I could trust myself to do what I believed to be right, even when it was inconvenient, even when it was difficult, even when others pushed against me. This belief in my own convictions has made all the difference in my life.
The easiest thing in the world is to go along with the crowd. People will always try to tell you what to think, how to act, what is "right" in their eyes. Sometimes, those voices will come from well-meaning friends, teachers, colleagues, or even family members. Other times, they will come from society itself, which often values comfort over courage.
But you must never allow the voices of others to drown out the voice inside you. It is that inner voice—your conscience, your sense of what is true—that will guide you toward the life you are meant to live.
Robert Frost’s poem The Road Not Taken has always resonated with me. In it, the narrator comes to a fork in the road and chooses the path “less traveled by,” which, he reflects, “has made all the difference.” I have found this to be true in my own life. Time and again, I have chosen the harder path—the one that required me to stand firm in my beliefs, to say no when it would have been easier to say yes, to walk away when others stayed. And every time, that choice has shaped who I am.
Living by your convictions is not about stubbornness. It does not mean refusing to listen to others or being blind to new information. In fact, true conviction requires a willingness to question yourself, to refine your beliefs, and to evolve when necessary—without losing the core of who you are.
Conviction is tested in moments of discomfort. You may find yourself in a situation where speaking up for what is right could cost you something—friendships, opportunities, even your reputation. It is in these moments that your character is forged.
There was a time in my life when I faced one of these tests. I had built a successful corporate career, but I had also made a promise to myself long before that I would never compromise my sense of justice and fairness toward others. Over time, I began to see that the values I held so closely were being chipped away by the expectations of that world—expectations that I bend, that I turn a blind eye, that I compromise on the things I knew in my heart to be right. I could have taken the easier route, but I knew in my heart it was not the right one. I knew that compromising on what I believed would have been the beginning of losing myself. And so, I chose to walk away. It wasn’t easy. But in the end, I walked away with something far more valuable than approval—I walked away with my integrity intact.
Many people think that following your convictions will lead to a harder life. And in some ways, they are right. You may lose things along the way—comfort, acceptance, the illusion of certainty. But what you gain is far greater: self-respect, clarity, and a life lived on your own terms.
There is a profound kind of freedom in knowing that you are not swayed by the winds of popularity or the expectations of others. When you live by your own convictions, you build a foundation so strong that no external force can shake it. You may stumble, you may fall, but you will always know where you stand.
As you go through life, you will have many choices to make. Some will be small; others will shape the course of your journey. Each time you stand at a crossroads, ask yourself: Am I choosing this because it aligns with what I truly believe? Or am I choosing it because it is easier?
The road less traveled is not for the faint of heart. But if you follow it—if you trust yourself enough to walk it—you will find that, in the end, it is the only road worth taking.
And years from now, when you look back at the path you chose, I hope you will be able to say, as Frost did:
"I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
With all my love,
Dad
If this letter stirred something in you—if it reminded you of a moment when you stood your ground or made the harder choice—I'd love to hear about it.
These reflections come from a personal place, but I share them with the hope that they speak to something universal. We all stand at crossroads. We all wrestle with the tension between approval and authenticity. And my hope for you—today and always—is that you have the courage to choose the road that truly reflects who you are.
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Until then—stay true, walk your own path, and lead with conviction.
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