Whatever age you are today; imagine you are 20 years into the future.
You have learned a lot over these past 20 years and you are going to write a letter, or write a song to the person you are today.
Imagine to have this gift of wisdom from the future …
What would you say?
Will you talk about achievements – the goals you met? Will you talk about relationships and love? Will you talk about setbacks and heartache and how you came through?
Would you talk about how priorities changed, how values changed How you embraced later life.
Maybe the focus would be on getting you to change direction now, or to accept a short term setback now you can see the future.
What would you like your younger self to know?
Yesterday I booked tickets to a gig – The Lottery Winners. One of their songs is called ‘Letter to Myself’ and it was watching the video that prompted this article. I encourage you to watch, at a time when you can have the sound up. It will make you smile, make you laugh, make you cry. Don’t we all want/need an emotional connection.
Imagine getting a letter when you were 12, from someone 20 years older. This song was written by Thom Rylance, who with ADHD as a child felt he didn’t fit in. He does now!
(An excerpt from the lyrics)
Dear Self, I know you’re crying out for help
So, I thought I’d write this letter, what are you now, like 12?
I know it seems like the pressure’s stuck on high
But I’ve come from your future to tell ya it’s fine
You need to worry less about how you are perceived
And focus a bit more on the things that you believe
‘Cause I know it seems like now you don’t have your place
But it will all fit together, trust me, it’s the case
So, get out there and do all the things you love
And don’t you dare sacrifice them just to look good, oh
Read some of those books sitting on the shelf
Drink in that knowledge, this is a letter to myself
Maybe you want to share that later life is not about decline – your greatest days are still ahead of you. Oh the plans you have for the next 20 years.
I’d love you to go ahead and write that letter.
Much love, Denise x
