reverb 10 - future self

the day 21 prompt at Reverb 10 is from Jenny Blake:  "Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)" 

i'm going to flip this prompt around and start with a letter to myself 10 years ago...and then jump forward 5 years looking back to 2011.

this year your life has been turned upside down with your unexpected move to the Caribbean. you're probably feeling a little overwhelmed with trying to adjust to living on a little island in the West Indies, thousands of miles from friends and family. it's a bit insane (the life you've stepped into living in a band house and the culture, in general), but it's also fun even though it can be challenging at times. even though you've moved dozens of times before this, this is the first move where you've gotten a little glimpse at the possibility of reinvention. and that part feels freeing. even so, it will be hard to let go of some old patterns and you're not really going to reinvent yourself. but don't worry, in three years (when this photo will be taken) you're going to discover something called blogging and it's going to change your life in ways you can't even imagine. not at first--it's going to take some time--but if you stick with it and are sincere in your interactions with those you'll meet online, your concept of community will never be the same. you will finally find a group of like-minded souls--people all over the world who accept and support you unconditionally--and for the first time, you'll understand what it feels like to have a tribe. at times this blogging thing is going to feel sort of like high school. sadly, cliques and hierarchies will form, even though most people will start blogging to get away from those things. i know it's hard to imagine right now because you don't even own a computer! but there will come a time when what i'm describing to you is so mainstream that even journalists and celebrities will do it.

so let me give you a little advice on what you can expect down the road. by the time you reach my age, your life will have changed drastically in some ways and hardly at all in others. but you will feel profoundly different than you did 10 years earlier. many people you've known will have died--family members, friends of your parents, friends you went to school with, people younger than you. and when you stand at 60 five years from now, you're going to realize with a quickening of your breath that it went by in a blink. it's not just that life can feel short--it's that life doesn't often feel precious...and it should.  so this coming year, in 2011, i want you to remember how little you care about superficial things and let yourself go even deeper. i want you to not waste time. savor every single day. continue to cultivate the relationships that really matter to you. set aside time each day for creative work. take walks. ride your bike. be kind. love your family even when they annoy you. give money to charity (the dollar amount doesn't matter--the act of giving does). listen to your intuition. nourish your body with healthy food. stay fit. stretch. breathe. and most of all, love. especially yourself.

Comments

[Shannon]

So wonderfully put: "you will finally find a group of like-minded souls--people all over the world who accept and support you unconditionally. and for the first time, you'll understand what it feels like to have a tribe."

[jen]

M: this was just so wonderful to read...a beautiful reminder of what is important, the power of perspective and time in general. xo

[darlene]

i love you. i really really do. this is beautiful and just what i needed to read in this moment, thank you.

[bella]

:) lovely. what i loved most is something i tend to forget in my day to day: life should feel precious. and now i will move into the new year being more mindful of the little moments.
happy day, Marilyn. xo