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It's full of surprisingly sage advice. Malia Obama pictured.
- Malia Obama is reportedly dating Rory Farquharson, a Harvard classmate from the UK.
- Farquharson previously attended the Rugby School in England. A Rugby School publication features a letter he wrote to his 16-year-old self.
- In the letter, he talks about dealing with depression and advises himself to maintain his close relationships.
Malia Obama is reportedly dating a classmate at Harvard: Rory Farquharson, a sophomore from the UK.
Farquharson previously attended the Rugby School, a private school in England, where he was "head of school" from 2015 to 2016. In England, private schools are called public schools - somewhat confusing for Americans, but will come into play in a moment.
A 2014 Rugby School publication features a letter Farquharson wrote to his 16-year-old self, and it's both amusing and surprisingly insightful.
Farquharson writes: "You're a lanky, over-confident public school boy, desperately trying to prove to your friends how much of a 'lad' you are and have failed miserably."
But the letter quickly takes a dark turn. At 16, Farquharson was preoccupied with academic success, and wore himself out trying to achieve it. He writes: "The early mornings, the long days and the late nights are all taking their toll - you look a wreck, your body aches every time you move and it takes you a good half hour to get out of bed in the morning (pain and depression)."
Farquharson goes on to give his younger self several pieces of life advice: Embrace change. Be true to who you are. Take responsibility for your own future.
Perhaps the sagest suggestion in the letter is to "look after your friends and family." Farquharson acknowledges that "there will be points in your life where you'll consider leaving your fairly eccentric but loyal group of mates behind in favor of a cooler group."
But he urges his younger self to "be generous and kind and devote time to those you care about. You'll find that the relationships that you nurture will be the most satisfying and important things of all in life."
That last bit of wisdom is backed up by research. The Harvard Study of Adult Development, which Business Insider previously reported is one of the longest and most complete studies of adult life, found that strong relationships keep us happier and healthier.
Farquharson leaves his 16-year-old self with one final piece of advice: "Try to do every single thing - whether big or small - as well as you possibly can. If you can do that, then you'll find that success looks after itself."