Imagine checking your mail and amongst the usual bills and advertising material finding a letter addressed to you written in very familiar handwriting, your own. But you have no recollection of ever addressing this particular envelope.
You look closer. This envelope is made from beautiful thick, smooth paper with a texture that you don’t recognise. There is no postage stamp as such and the ‘postage paid’ official stamp seems to have a typo. It states the year as being 10 years into the future. What the?
Still feeling the envelope between your thumb and fingers feeling the strange smooth texture of it you carry it inside with the other mail. You absently toss the junk mail straight into the recycle bin, add the bills to the pile with the others then stand holding the mystery letter. You turn it over but there is no return address. It is not particularly fat and feels as if there is just one folded sheet of paper within. The type of ink used to write the address even looks unfamiliar. You can’t place whether or not it’s been written with a ballpoint, felt-tip or fountain pen. Stranger and stranger. You put the kettle on to make a cup of tea. Then while the kettle is coming to the boil you carefully put your thumbnail under the edge of the flap to break the seal then carefully lift it away and open the envelope.
You were right, there is only one single folded sheet of paper inside. You pull it out noticing that it is made from the same type of paper as the envelope. Unfolding the sheet you see that it is a letter written to you in your own handwriting.
Dear Self,
I am writing you this note from ten years into the future to thank you for creating the life I now enjoy. I want to thank you for having the dream for us to be able to live our best lives. Thank you for putting in all the hard work, even when it was boring and inconvenient, to get me in the position I enjoy today.
Thank you for believing in me and what we could achieve. You were right.
I want to thank you for choosing the healthy option, even when you didn’t want to and doing the workouts and taking the walks. I enjoy my healthy body when so many of my friends are now suffering with poor health and obesity.
Thank you for planning and saving and doing without instant gratification for the sake of your long term goals. They have come to fruition. Some a little differently than you imagined, but still wonderful.
Thank you for imagining the life that I now enjoy. Without you first creating the possibility within yourself I wouldn’t be where I am today. Thank you for believing in what you imagined and working, each step at a time, towards that vision.
The view from here now is amazing and I love the life that you created for me. Keep up the good work. Don’t forget about me. You should see what I am working towards now. You’re going to love it.
Lots of love from,
Your future self.
Still holding the single sheet of paper in your hand, you sit down at your table just as the kettle comes to the boil and turns itself off with a click. You are filled with joy and wonder but can’t help wishing there were more specifics given, like a photo, or details of what life is like ten years into the future. Where do you live? Who is president? What power sources are being used? What is happening with climate change? What are the latest technological wonders?
Feeling energised but also peaceful and quiet you sit and dream and envision all that your future life could be.
What are you dreaming of and planning for your future self? Tell us in the comments below.
If you could write a letter to your past self, what would you say?
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