by Linda Allen
I’ve noticed quite a few articles in the last year or so giving “advice” to the author’s younger self. Typically, it’s words of wisdom they want to share with their 20-something self. While they’re sort of interesting, it’s really an exercise in futility. Because of course, we can’t reach back in time to give ourselves advice. But we can reach forward in time.
If you keep a written journal or diary, or even a photo journal, that’s what you’re already doing. Sending messages to your future self about what life was like now about the feelings and frustrations and joys that decorated the path leading to that future self.
As a human being, it’s easy to forget parts of your life experiences. Or they become fuzzy, and the details get lost or confused. So there’s a good reason to be a little more clear in the picture of the life you leave and therefore send, to your future self.
My own efforts in journaling have been hit and miss. But when I look back at what I wrote years before, it usually allows me a deeper understanding of my life’s path and to judge myself a little less harshly. I have more gratitude for the perseverance that got me where I am today.
I recently asked author Kelly Mcnelis what she’d tell her 65-year-old self. Her response:
“I’d express a lot of gratitude. I’d thank my older self for her courage and commitment to carrying me through my life. And I’d also tell her that I hope she is continuing to maintain an agile mind and explore new ideas, because continued curiosity and the capacity to move beyond our comfort zone is everything. I would also wish that her soul has expanded over the years, and that she has accessed the greatest joy and passion of her life. I’d wish for her that she has even more peace and joy than I do now.”
But what if I was constrained to only send one short message to my future self? Pondering that, I think it would be this: I did the best I could with what I had to work with. I truly hope you like what I created for you.
What’s Your Message To Your Future Self?
If you had only a single message to send to your future self, what would it be?
There’s great value in keeping an account of what’s happening in your life and your physical and emotional responses to it. So I’m challenging you, and myself, to create a regular record. I’m pretty sure we’ll be a lot more grateful, for ourselves, when we have a clear picture of the path we’ve followed and the prices we paid to get there.
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Images via pexels and pixabay.
Linda Allen is the editor of Ms. Career Girl has been a lifelong serial entrepreneur and considers herself a “Jill of all Trades,” having operated multiple businesses and held positions with both a major consumer electronics company and a New York financial services firm. But her passion is helping other women (and men!) navigate their personal and career paths.
