In Money Mind Academy, a course I took last year with Sean Croxton, we were given an exercise to write a letter to ourselves thirty years in the future. It was a slightly challenging exercise because I still didn’t (still dont’t) know what I wanted to be when I grow up. I do know how I want to live and that was the perspective I used when I wrote my letter. I was going through my notebook the other day and came across the letter. It was a pick me up. I have felt a little better since reading it. Yes, of course I’m going to share it. Y’all so nosy ๐. Here it is.
Dear Ebony,
I am not sure if you are at home sitting on the patio listening to the waves or traveling right now. I hope if you are crocheting, you aren’t working on too many projects at once. How many blankets have you made at this point? Hope you have continued to take pictures of them all. I am so jealous of your yarn room.
I envisioned this future. I designed that house, study/yarn room and all. Every time I did my visualization, I saw that view of the ocean. The moon at night. The wonderful husband that cooks. The love, respect, care and consideration between you and him. Though I was single and just opening my heart to love, I knew it was possible. I read relationship books. Learned things about myself . The things I needed to work on, the things that I loved. I grew to love myself with each new discovery and change that I made to be a better me. I watched seminars and attended courses to learn how to let abundance into my life. To get rid of my limiting beliefs. Based on a book I read in book club, I started to diligently set aside 10% of my income. I even gathered as many loose $1 as I could spare and put them in my house fund along with coins in my piggy bank.
I prayed for you. I prayed you would find your purpose. That you would be fulfilled and at the same time, serve others. That one of the main thoughts in your head would be the flame to spark the life that I wanted for you. I am so happy my prayers were answered. To see you now brings me so much joy. I am glad that I pushed through. That I made the necessary changes. That I believedย in myself. That I stopped letting other’s thoughts and opinions matter. That I got rid of limiting beliefs.
The journey I purposefully started at 42 years old was meant to get you where you are at 72 years old. We did it!
When I first read it, I thought I wouldn’t change a thing. Now, after typing it out in this post, I feel like so much is missing. I didn’t include the places I would traveling. I left out the activities my husband and I would experience together. I said nothing about the book I am writing and how it was received. No mention of the dogs I plan to have. Though the letter is beautifully written, I think I left it a little too generic. It makes sense why I wrote the letter that way. I was just getting to know myself a little better. Knowing myself even more, I want to write a new letter and date it for 5 years from now. Put it more into a short term perspective and I won’t have to wait 30 years to read it ๐.
Have you ever written a letter to your future self? If so, have you gone back and read it? I encourage you to do this exercise. It can get you to thinking about what you want to be true for your future. And hopefully set you on a plan of action to get there (more on this in the next post). Also, it will be great to read 10, 20 or thirty years later. To see what happened, what didn’t and what changed in your vision for your future self. No matter what you envision for future you, I hope that it includes being well and whole. Much love ๐งก ๐.