Today our future selves are thankful for the efforts of our past selves.
A big big thank you!
To you, the reader, and to my past selves.
There are a lot of things I would do differently if I could go back in time, it is fair for anyone to share this same belief, and it is not inappropriate to meditate on them for a reasonable amount of time. To be reasonably critical of our past and present selves is a very healthy habit to have for anyone who wants to carve out a slice of life that is happy and healthy.
In your own pursuit of self improvement, you no doubt have come across a number motivational posters and quotes. Sometimes they can even seem unapologetically offensive and trigger insecurities in times of severe struggles where mental health is not optimal, and support is minimal; some will even call it Kool-Aid. And rightly so! It is best to moderate both the positive and the negative, because there is such a thing as having too much of a good thing.
With that in mind we must take care, tread lightly and with caution. Our previous selves have not been 100% successful, our present selves most certainly are not either, and hopefully with enough effort, accurate forecasts, and efficient use of our energy, our future selves will get to enjoy better moments than our present selves. With luck and a lot of self care, traumas of the past may even be healed.
A toast to our present selves for the hard work of our past, and to future years.
I will be the first to admit that I put too much faith in others to care about my wellbeing, growth, and development. Like many young adults, I graduated high school with near zero comprehension of everyday aspects of life as an adult. Insurance, taxes, useful DIY skills, basic concepts of mechanics, maintenance, or finance. In retrospect, I’m amazed I did as well as I did. After all, how can one take care of themselves if they don’t know to check the oil in their car, or patch a roof leak, and lack the resources to hire someone who can? I see a lot of youth nowadays experiencing similar situations, but today the Internet has become an incredible resource for people to help themselves where others have failed them. And it must be affirmed that the investments and efforts anyone makes in themselves through self help resources most certainly can and will have profound impacts on their quality of life in the future!
We all get our first tools from somewhere. We all buy our first books, parts, and supplies; even survival gear and personal safety and security equipment. We all take our first step. Cheers to you mates for buying that drill, downloading those tutorials, and investing in the books and training programs.
Things may not pan out as expected, but even a side step or a jump back to avoid harm is still a step in the right direction. Don’t forget to be kind and gentle to yourself, beating the odds takes care and strategy. If you find yourself taking too many steps backwards or making slow progress, consider a pair of “quality shoes”. That is a euphemism for preparedness, something to make your tired feet feel like new, the right tread and support, non slip, steel toe, light weight. When it’s go-time, you need to be prepared for the terrain and climate. Just like when in the real world, a bad pair of shoes and bad tires can make a bad day a lot worse. “An ounce of prevention” and all that jazz.
“Let your past make you better, and do something today your future self will thank you for.” — Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Remrie Arrie — Remrie@Gmail.com — www.Remrie.com
