A little on self love and self reflection.
We always hear about how it’s good to self-reflect, write a letter to yourself, and read it later. But I haven’t ever really sat down and truly wrote a letter to myself, until last night, and I loved it. It was the end of the day, lights were dim, my favorite pen and my journal.
I wrote two letters, one to myself five years into the past and the other, five years into the future.
Five years in the past, a reflection.
Five years in the future, a manifestation.
Five years in the past
The reflection
If you can write a letter to your younger self, what would you tell yourself that you know now? Would you tell your younger self advice that you wish you would have followed or would you tell your younger self that everything is better than they would have expected? Maybe a little of both?
This one was a little emotional, taking yourself back into the memories. Five years ago felt like yesterday, but so much growth and change happens within those years.
I started off my letter to 22 year old Shay letting her know that she’s doing everything right and that everything will be okay. Although she didn’t know what direction she wanted to take with her professional life, that it was ok. She struggled financially, which led to constant disappointment with herself internally; she struggled with confidence as she entered the corporate world; and she was still learning so much about herself and her relationship through it all. But it’s okay, and I’m proud of her – she knew how to have fun, she cherished her friends and family, and she learned from the mistakes she made.
Five years into the future
The manifestation
If you can write a letter to your future self, what would you hope to imagine your life to be? Be specific of what goals you would want to have accomplished, who would you be surrounding your life with, where would you want to be professionally? Personally? Emotionally?
This one is called the manifestation. Because if you can visualize where you want to be, who you want to be, your focus today will be strides towards exactly that. This one is exhilarating and scary at the same time. Knowing that the possibilities are endless but also dipping into the unknown can make you feel some type of way. So push away any doubts and manifest your positives.
Future Shay will be in her early 30’s and that’s exciting because I imagine many incremental changes in my life – advancement in my relationship, creating a family, progressing in my career. I started my letter with … Dear future me, I hope you’re happy. The rest trickled with what goals I would hope to have accomplished in five years, continuing to stay curious and learn more, and really break my internal barriers.
Being sheltered in place is an ideal moment for us to take a moment to ourselves, reflect on where we’re at, where we want to be, and to acknowledge our feelings. I’m looking forward to looking back at my letters five years from today and I hope you do, too.
Love, Shay
