Wednesday, August 16, 2017

How to catch your future self

Monday was my birthday. I love birthdays, besides the excuse to party and spoil myself, they also give me a reason to reflect back on my past year. I have so much to be grateful for . . . even if some of that gratitude is just for the simple fact that this past year of my life is over! 32 was quite a doozy for me. There is a lot of this past year that I wouldn’t repeat, not for a million dollars. But, I’m still grateful to be where I am and for all the growth that my trials and triumphs brought me. And I’m grateful for my blessings. 

The other gift that birthdays give me is a reason to look ahead at this next year, and to pave a new path of possibilities.

I found this video of Matthew Mcconaughey’s Oscar speech super inspiring. It has helped me to look at how I want to move forward and how to make some new goals for myself.


I think if we’re always chasing after ourselves, ten years from now, it will do a couple different things.

#1. It will force us to make a plan for who we want our future selves to be. If we’re going to chase ourselves we need to know who we’re going to be. What will we have accomplished? Where will we live? What will be important to us? This is great because it gives us direction. Otherwise we’re just living our lives and if we don’t have a destination who knows where the road of life will take us.

#2. It will force us to put that plan into action. If we’re going to catch ourselves (or at least attempt to) we’re going to have to make a plan. Having a destination is not enough. We have to figure out the mode of transportation of how we’re going to get from the person we are now to the person we want to be in ten years.

#3. It keeps us dreaming. One of my first thoughts when I watched Mathew Mcconaughey’s speech was, “Wow! He’s still reaching for something? I mean. He’s got it all doesn’t he? Hasn’t he already reached the top? Where is there to go from here?” Sometimes I think I’m more afraid of success than failure because I’m afraid that if I ever reach the destination that I’m reaching for that I’ll look back and feel disappointed. Like when something fun ends and I’m left feeling empty. But listening to Mathew Mcconaughey has made me realize that it never has to be that way. There is no ultimate summit. No final destination. There is always room to grow and things to learn and look forward to. And that fills me with so much excitement and relief!

So this birthday I am left with a big task. It’s time to start dreaming. Of all the characters I have created in my head, I think the most exciting and scary person is going to be me . . . in ten years. And what a fun and exciting journey it will be trying to catch her.

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