What would your 80-year-old self be saying to your 20-year-old self?
Have you ever thought about that? Ok, I hear most you saying no because you are not 80 years old yet. However, have you thought about what you, as you are right now, would tell your 20-year-old self? If you only had 2 minutes to share a pearl of wisdom, what would you say?
When I was recently asked this question it was interesting what immediately came up for me. The message that popped into my mind like a flash was directly related to my own journey over the years. That one thing that underpinned most of my struggles, unnecessarily creating self-imposed limitations in my search for meaning on this crazy, confusing, beautiful journey. Now it was a very simple thing when looked at in isolation, however, chuck it headlong into the colourful mix of life and its many manifestations and you get a therapists paradise.
By the way, my message is “you are worthy and deeply loved, always remember that those who were seen dancing were thought to be crazy by those who could not hear the music, so never hide who you are or sell your soul to be considered worthy”.
I wonder
How often do you think people stop to pay attention to their lives, reflecting on what they have learnt, who they are becoming and how they have, or have not, evolved over the years. I asked a few people what they would say and surprisingly many didn’t have a clear message, besides the obvious light-hearted jokes; they had simply not ever really thought about it.
Is it possible that trapped in our endless business, the vast majority of humans wander along the pathway of life watching the years fly by without any real destination, or goal or perhaps even a roadmap?
How often do people simply make the same damn mistakes over and over? Making mistakes is not a problem, it’s repeating the same ones that drains people of joy.
Making different mistakes is what results in learning – this is where growth and new possibilities flourish – yet people seldom risk making new mistakes. They feel far more comfortable doing the same thing, hoping for a different outcome, resulting in zero transformation, limited learning, loads of regret and blaming, and no message worthy of your incredible life to share with that 20-year-old self.
Why are you here today?
When will you risk making new mistakes?
When will you open yourself to new possibilities?
What is your message to that 20-year-old?
Just a thought.