VIDEO: Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s Powerful ‘Note To Self’

Just got the chance to see Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s “Note To Self” from Wednesday’s edition of CBS This Morning.

If you haven’t seen it, take five minutes and watch it. It’s pretty incredible.

There’s not much to add to that, except to say this is another example of why Earnhardt Jr. is so popular. It’s not his last name, it’s the person he is: An honest, down-to-earth dude who isn’t afraid of showing the world his emotions.

Cool stuff.

If you’re interested, CBS provided SB Nation with the text of Earnhardt Jr.‘s note (as he wrote it):

To a 16 yr old Dale Jr,
Now writing this letter to you is going to force me to think pretty deeply about my life and you know thinking deeply was never one of your favorite activities. You always did and always will shoot for the C on your report card, anything more than that is always going to be a surprise to you right?
You just got your driver’s license....your heart belongs to no one....and you’ll going to spend a lot of nights in the bed of your S10 pick up truck out in the field staring up at the stars worrying about your future. Your fathers accomplishments on the race track already cast a pretty heavy shadow over your existence. He’s going to accomplish more in the years to come and your fear of living anonymously and forgotten - that’s going to grow.
You don’t have much of a connection to your mother, your efforts in that regard are disappointing. In the future she is going to become a consistent and prominent figure in your life....but you shouldn’t waste the years in between. Because her love is the truly unconditional kind. You shouldn’t take it for granted.
Living under your fathers roof doesn’t bridge the incredible gap between you guys. In due time, you will enjoy the most incredible relationship with him. // One afternoon after an accident, you’re going to go home thinking your career is over. And then bustin in through the door comes your dad and he’s wondering what you’re doing sitting on your butt feeling sorry for yourself. And you are going to go out on the back porch and sit down and have a two hour conversation that is the most influential conversation you’ll ever have with him. He is going to finally assure you of what lies ahead. It’s not the end of your career like you thought, its the just the beginning of a very very long incredible journey.
You’ll share laughs and triumphs at his side. It’ll be in your best interest that when these times come, you get everything out of them that you possibly can. I mean when is you and him, in that moment, you live it to he fullest.
Now you want to be a race car driver, so lets talk about the racing. As I look back on it as a whole, starting out from Go Karts all the way to Cup today, it’s going to feel clunky, and impromptu, and is going to be lacking in successes. But fortunately for you... every weekend there will be another race.
Now with that said, you’re going to be so deathly frightened of potential failure that you’re not going to realize just how much fun you’re having.// You’re going to win a lot of races, and as painfully shy as you are you’ll overcome and accomplish in arenas not just limited to driving cars. You’re going to meet Presidents. You’re going to guest on late night shows, I mean its incredible - but its true.
That’s not too bad for an oil mechanic. Yes you are going to change oil change for a few years - and its not as bad as it sounds.
And I knew you’d want to know about your Redskins. Now your Redskins are goin to win another Super Bowl in ‘91. But after that it’s a pretty rough road. But your support for them Redskins doesn’t waiver one bit.
Overall, you need to just be more sure of yourself. You’re going to do great things man. You’re going to have an awesome life. You have a great heart and its going to stay with you throughout. So don’t be so timid and worrisome about the future so much so that you can’t enjoy the present. You’re there, worried about me here You just need to have some fun man. Jump in that S10, go down to Concord and cruise the strip. Because you’re going to be here...soon enough.