I see you smiling, sitting so peacefully; you are simply in awe. You’re looking at me, the younger, and more naive, more determined, more self-righteous self; you have nothing but love and gratitude for me.
You have watched me cry the tears of a new exhausted mother, you have watched me grieve over the loss of a dear friend, you saw me take leaps of faith and win. You watched me fall hard and get back up a little less faithful. A little more aware.
You see me struggle with my body image, get my heart broken, triumph over many challenges.
You see my struggle, you see me have momentary outbursts and cry; and you see that I make it through. You see that I’m OK. My pain, my struggles, my issues are not what define me. You see that I make it through each rough patch, and you know that I come out stronger, smarter and more self-aware than ever before. Each time a little wiser a little more forgiving.
I see you smile with gratitude for all of the lessons I am in the middle of learning. The gut-wrenching, painful moments of life that make us who we are. You are proud to have them be a part of your past. You made it through and hold nothing but positive loving thoughts for yourself.
Future Me, your energy and love is infectious. You have a knowing way about you that is wise, patient and graceful. You see that everything is always in right order and that what I am going through right now is part of my bigger plan. It’s as if you know that all of this turbulence and stress, happiness and victories was divinely put into my life to help me become the person I need to be; the person that you ARE.
Future self, I know that you’re so proud of me for learning these lessons, for rolling up my sleeves and doing the work on myself that’s required; for getting into the trenches of my own life to prepare me for my next chapter. You’re abundant with awareness and you see that I am getting it. Day by day, I am trying, and I am learning.
I choose to work toward you. You smile because you see that I get it, that the choices I make today affect you and your life in the future. You see that I am showing up and doing the best I can. You see that what may feel like not enough, even a failure, is more than enough in your eyes. You are proud and honoured to have been me.
Future self, I see that somewhere between you and me, we have figured it out. You are not defined by your problems, or any situation that you find yourself in. You ride the waves of life with ease; it makes me want to catch up to you faster. I see that together we figure it out. I know that my life is a moment-by-moment web of intricate experiences and reactions that help me shape you. I work to make myself better today for you, for us.
I am choosing to be happy. I am choosing to love openly and fully, from the heart. Future self, I take big risks because I know that you know that I, that WE, need me to. That I can.
I choose to leap into the unknown and completely follow my heart. I am going to become the person you know I can be. Future self, you are my guide and you show me what is possible for our life. You show me that no matter what life throws at us, we are stronger, smarter, healthier and more beautiful than ever, not because we rise above it, though we do, but because we have the courage to keep going.
Our experiences make us who we are. I choose to let my dreams and my successes define me.
Future self, you rock, and I am so unbelievably proud I get to become you.