Dear Self: A Letter From The Future

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves." -William Shakespeare

Have you ever felt like you're at the crossroads? On the cusp of adventure...as if there were multiple pathways before your feet, and you wanted to run forward but were strangely planted to the ground, not knowing which way to go? 

I have. And I feel that way right now. For the past month or so, I've been thinking deeply about finding purpose, and starting the next chapter in my life. What that holds I do not know. As expressed in my last post, sometimes one must simply live the questions. That said, one should also envision their future and boldly dream. 

The future is ours to create. 

Early April, I told my boss that I was taking a day off to "think about life." That's literally what I told her and she didn't even blink an eye. Better yet, she handed me over a crumpled piece of paper with some scribbles on it and told me to reflect upon 3 questions:

1. Who will you become?
2. What will satisfy your soul?
3. What is your battle to take up this year?

I drove up north to cozy Calistoga and booked a quiet day away from the hustle and bustle of the city with the sole intent of reflecting upon what I wanted in my life. I took a notebook up to a secluded hilltop covered in flowers, sat on a bench and...

Wrote an 11-page letter to myself, from the future. Yup. Who knows me better than me? (Hey, at least I didn't talk out loud to myself) Here are the highlights:

Dear Self in 2015,

              

It's now 2025 and I am so damn happy. Sometimes I want to pinch myself because I don't believe this dream that I live in waking life. I am writing to you from a park, with my beautiful children laughing in the background...I am now a nurturing mother, loving wife, and someone who inspires others--as a profession!

It satisfies my soul to know that through my connections, I've helped others connect to others, and to themselves...When I was in my early 30s, I realized that I had a special gift...I had a gift to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

I remember turning the corner in 2015...I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and made a big move and career shift...It was scary at first but the world was better served by my courage, not my comfort.

You should not give up on the love you want, because look at me now...I have the love I want..We are a global family and I speak 5 languages fluently...

I want to tell you, Jenn of 31, to keep at your dreams, no matter how crazy (because you're a crazy person to begin with anyway)...It only only takes one- YOU! 

I seized the opportunities. I saw light in darkness...I worked hard...I vowed to never stop learning, to be a student always. I remained me..I made wise choices. I saw the steep uphills, ran up them, and now at the hilltop, I admire the view of the vast open reality before my eyes. 

Love, 

Me in 2025

Now it's 2015 Me speaking again..and I can tell you, it was one of the most empowering and inspiring thought activities I've ever done. If you're feeling like you're in a bit of a rut...

Take out that pen and paper. Let Future You inspire Present You.