I am once again delving back into my writing archives for today’s post. I wrote this on 1 January 2008 on the final page of my 2008 diary as a message to my future self. 2008 was a year of transition, having just finished university and starting work with my first job. I wrote this as a way of reflecting on the year ahead of me and I remember the great swell of emotion that greeted my reading of this passage on 31 December 2008. Some of my dreams came true that year and others fell by the wayside. Some took a few more years to manifest. The timeframe is not important. What is, is the mindset that we take into each year of our life. My mindset entering 2008 was overwhelmingly positive, and every time I read this I find myself inspired all over again. It is for this reason that I share my message to my future self with you. Enjoy!
Hello again, congratulations on surviving another year. You may not realise it but you grow stronger with every year that passes. As I write this I am filled with such joy at the miracle of life. You are blessed and the world is at your feet. 2007 was another challenging year, but it was also a year when you completed two university degrees. And got your dream job. My only wish is that you threw everything into your work and your life in Wellington. 2008 holds enormous potential and I know that you lived this year – really lived.
Embrace each moment – live for those moments which define your entire essence. I hope you did not waste your life with trivial matters, that you did not get swept away by society. Stay true to who you are in 2008 – that is probably your biggest challenge this year. You will no doubt come under pressure from many different angles to change who you are – I hope you had the strength to resist them.
Did you act with maturity this year? Yes, your ability to feel deeply is something to embrace, but I hope you took the time to think things through. Follow your heart, but listen to your head occasionally. Hold out for love, feel the connection – you had one last night. Do you remember how it felt? Of course you do, moments like that are not forgotten. There is no point in wasting time if you do not feel that same emotion. Moments connect you with people, some lift your soul up to the highest heavens. Love is unbridled passion and the deepest despair. You are at once riding a wild horse over the windswept plains and falling into the darkest abyss. Hold out for that. Time is on your side.
Only you know what 2008 was like. No doubt it was full of challenges life the previous years. Mistakes will have been made, loved ones lost, friendships gained and friendships destroyed. I hope you accepted that this year and that you lived true to your motto for 2008: Embrace the adversity!
Kia kaha my friend.
