Our future self - what would they say?
We all have a future-self ahead of us.
What would they say to you, today? What advice?
By observing different life stages in play, I imagine what my future self would say to me.
...Yesterday, my Father told me he had got a black spot on his eye from a burst blood vessel. The black spot followed him around everywhere he looked. 'That's how Grandad lost his sight,' he said.
An hour later and we got a call from my partners family. His Grandad had gone to hospital after fainting and vomiting. He was now stable but shaken up.
The aging of the body. A stage in the life cycle.
...
As I sit on my balcony overlooking a shared garden, I reflect, observe and write. A curly-haired girl plays quietly with a toy on the balcony opposite and a baby cries in the background. The start of the life cycle.
The girl ferries the plant pots around the balcony, rearranging them for the umpteenth time. Such purpose to every action she makes and each decision she takes! She squeals with excitement as she unloads the stones from her basket. She is absorbed in the present moment. A place we often seek for contentment.
She is blissfully ignorant to the hardships, loss, fear, lack and death that come upon us humans in our lifetime. Is it better to know, or not?
These happenings and observations remind that life is fragile and fleeting. They remind me what to give attention to.
In this present moment, I have plentiful food, material possessions in excess and I am fortunate to have money behind me. In the past, I have attached so much value to these aspects they could be mistaken for the essence of life. Some days I fear not having enough money or a steady income.
Yet, these will ebb and flow throughout life and at some point I may find myself without what I take for granted now. As certain as the fact that I will die, is the certainty that I will leave all these behind. Why live in fear of a potentiality, when I could live in joy for everything I have right now, this which is a reality?
What if I saw this time as a gift that is happening for me, rather than to me? What if, on the journey of life, this is exactly where I'm supposed to be? That I have been guided, unknowingly, to this very moment in time by the Universe in order to observe, reflect on life's cycle and enrich my time. In this sense, this moment is a totally precious gift for it will, for sure, only happen once. Now.
...
'The past is history.
The future is a mystery.
Today is a gift, that's why it's called the present.'
Occupied, the mother does not notice me but I wonder what she would see, what she would say, if she did. Perhaps, I will be her one day and I will look at a pensive young woman sat across the way with the perceived freedom and lack of responsibilities of a young adult before parenthood. A different stage of the life cycle.
...
I would say to her,
'Enjoy every minute. Do what you love. Spent time doing the things you enjoy, even if you are a bit afraid. That fear will pass and you'll be left with the memory of joy, accomplishment, satisfaction.
Learn, and find the joy in learning, one of the greatest privileges.
Show and feel love towards others. Most importantly, show yourself love for your accompaniment in every step of life's journey is yourself. That you can be certain of.
Worries of today will be replaced by worries of tomorrow. Don't let them engulf you or cloud your ability to see life's vibrancy. They will always be there in some form or another. Acknowledge them, listen to them and know you can detach from them.
Understand that we always have a choice in our perspective, attitude and outlook. Choose to let the beauty shine brighter than the worries and fear. Nurture it.'⭐
...
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