ETK posted a letter to her 13 year old self as part of a meme type project yesterday, and it reminded me of an exercise I went through with my sister a few years ago before she retired from the life coaching business. It was part meditation, part imagination and entirely helpful and enlightening.

She started with present day me (how else would you begin?), and she talked quietly until I found a happy place and quieted my mind. At her direction, I floated slowly out into space and then back down, but the back down was to a 65 year old me. Where was I…what was I doing…what were my surroundings and emotional state like but more importantly – what sage council did I have for that younger more confused and emotionally wrecked me?

So with a little inspiration from ETK and on the cusp of my 35th, I’m revisiting the conversation.

Dear Silly Little 35 Year Old Me:

You are not old. Shut up. You’ve had gray hair since you were 16 and you love it. Look at this belly and these crowsfeet! This is old. Now be quiet and take notes because you know I hate repeating myself and you have a horrible memory…which brings us directly to the goods:

- Take the damn Gingoba…it might not help but it probably won’t hurt.

- Don’t be so hard on yourself. Failure is key to development and your later appreciation of successes.

- It’ll be hard work to erase your crappy programming – but you’ll write a rockin’ much better less buggy O/S for your brain when it’s all done. Expect a lot of tears and resentment during development and know that none of it makes you a bad person — it’s part of progress.

- The Rolling Stones were right.

- Do it. That thing you’re terrified of? Do it anyway. No one is stopping you but you…and it’ll turn out better than you think. I’m serious. Didn’t I tell you to be quiet and listen? Trust me.

- Make more time for your spiritual evolution.

- You’re going to have to fight for things…both to bring them into your life and to get them out. It’s okay. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for and your gut knows what it’s talking about. We wouldn’t have made it this far if that wasn’t true.

- Cry more! It hurts when you hold it in and you always feel so cleansed afterwards. It’s guuuuud.

- Get off your ass. If you think it’s hard to keep those thighs tight and that waist slim now, just wait.

- Love freely. You’ll get hurt even if you don’t. Oh, and PS…you are loved. A lot. Open your freakin’ eyes.

- Don’t let your passion and caring be squelched by meanines. Smile inside and keep doing what you do.

- Be authentic.

- Keep making time for the people you love. Those memories, emotions and relationships will be all you have to sustain you through hard times.

- You. Are. Wonderful.

Love,

Maigh circa 2037