I entered a writing contest sponsored by Garrison Keillor a while ago. It was called, “Dear You” and the theme was to write a poem in the form of a letter to any living person.
I chose to write a letter to my twenty year old self, have no clue what implications it would have. I didn’t win BUT the act of writing it provided me with some great insights, so it wasn’t a total loss.
Writing this letter caused a sort of paradigm shift within me and allowed me realize how far I’ve progressed in some ways and have fallen short in a few others.
It was so helpful to me I urge you to try writing a letter to your twenty year old self and see how deeply it impacts you.
If you try this, and feel comfortable sharing it, please copy a link to your post in the comments below and tag the post with #timetravel101!
Here’s mine:
Dear twenty-year old me:
You are much stronger than you think and in the next twenty years the world will test that strength to the fullest.
Life isn’t anything remotely as you imagine it to be, it’s much tougher and more beautiful than you can understand right now.
Don’t believe anything you hear in the news, read the history books, or are told from any government.
Find the thing you love more than life itself, pursue it with all your might.
Trust others but consider their intentions.
Be gentle with yourself and others.
Celebrate each success, no matter how small. Try not to judge. Run towards your fears as if your life depends upon it.
Everybody feels insecure inside, some people are just better at hiding it. Don’t worry so much about what others think of you. Tell the truth, especially to yourself. Be more attentive to the elderly and children.
One day you will switch roles with your parents. Remember all of those times you made your parents worry? Well, get ready, karma is coming for you.
Enjoy each moment, right now it feels like you’ll live forever but time is incredibly short. Never put your dreams on hold for anyone, or you will resent them for it.
Pursue freedom, not material things. Success usually exists just outside your comfort zone. If you expect to accomplish great things don't expect to live a safe or ordinary life.
Cars are a huge waste of time and money. Spend your money on experiences. Don't have any expectations about other people.
Pay attention to your pets, they are more intelligent than you think they are and have many lessons to teach you in their short lives. Nothing hurts as much as regret. Watch the sunrise at least once a year.
Don’t worry so much about your credit score. Say yes to as many things that scare you as you can. Everything is going to turn out great.
Carry a Swiss army knife. Buy internet stock in 1997, sell internet stock before March 10, 2000. Mullets aren’t sexy. Some people aren’t meant to be your friends for life and that’s okay. You will write a novel. Have more fun, worry less. Buy quality stuff that can be repaired. Cost doesn’t always equate to quality.
Much of life is outside your control, get used to it. Learn to make the most out of (and find the lesson in) every situation.
Net worth doesn’t equal self-worth. Don’t be afraid to get lost. Talk to strangers. You will eventually get wiser. Really listen to people when they speak instead of thinking what you’ll say next. Dance every single chance you get. Don’t be in such a freaking hurry to grow up.
Be yourself, always. Do yoga at least three times per week. Meditate more. Your dreams will come true...but it'll take longer than you think.
Your heart will be broken, you will recover, it will be broken again, you will recover (again). Watch less television. Butter isn’t bad for you but margarine is (I know it sounds crazy!) Learn to trust your instincts.
Although your forehead will be considerably higher, you will not be completely bald by the time you’re forty. You will meet and marry the love of your life. Beagles are incredibly awesome dogs.
Write every single day. Travel as often as you can, even if you think you can't afford it.
Although you will never have biological children of your own will get to experience some of the joys of fatherhood with your stepson. It’s awesome.
This thing called cryptocurrency will be invented in a few decades, Steemit will come later...both will change your life in wonderful ways.
I love you, I really do, but I’m so glad I’m not you anymore.
(signed) Forty-six year old me.
Please follow our official Steemit account for the film series @hardfork-series. Did you miss our last post? If so CLICK HERE to read it!
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Amazing. Thanks for sharing, Eric.
I especially love the part about running towards your fears as if your life depended on it.
That, and the part about cars. God, what a money pit!
I think I may try one of these myself, as I've been reflecting on life at 20 recently (I'm 31).
Also, I'm sincerely excited about the @hardfork-series :)
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Thank you, Colin! That lesson about running towards your fears took me quite a while to learn. I'm still a car geek but admire other people's now instead of pouring money into them. We appreciate the interest and enthusiasm about HardFork! It's the most exciting project I've ever been a part of. We have so much exciting news to share soon with you all. : )
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Just wrote my own version of this post.
I hope you don't mind, I used the same image. Thanks for inspiring me to do the same, @ericvancewalton
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That is awesome, @colinhoward! I'll pop over and give you an upvote and a resteem. Thanks for participating!
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Thanks a ton! I was thrilled with how easy I was able to get into a flow state with this topic.
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Brilliant, just brilliant! You could so easily have been writing to 20 year old me :-)
In particular;
and
This was a biggie for me
I love it, however I think my letter would be a bit too raw and personal for me to post. It's an interesting idea though . . .
Oh, you forgot to tell you about Apple and Microsoft stock, and to buy 10,000 Bitcoin for the price of a pizza in '09 and to sell a few in 2012, some more in late 2017 and hodl the rest :-)
Cg
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Thanks @cryptogee! If you decide to write one please let me know. Love the last lines you wrote above! How could I have forgotten to include that? : )
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damm that was so great to read very interesting glad you took the part in this :D
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Thanks, @blazing!
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Deep and humorous too, my favorite part is:" Buy internet stock in 1997, sell internet stock before March 10, 2000."Stellar advice!
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Lol, thanks! Funny thing is that Tech Stock Boom of the 90's pales in comparison to the crypto-boom!
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Yes, I was thinking about that. Maybe add the advice to buy Bitcoin in 2009!
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Finally got around to writing my letter - has taken me back in time somewhat. Thank you for the challenge :)
https://steemit.com/timetravel101/@lizelle/letter-to-my-20-year-old-self
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Thank you for taking part in it!
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Very beautiful poetry, original and you give real advice to younger generations @ericvancewalton
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Thank you!
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You're a great writer, you have the right points, and your posts have the power to change a man @ericvancewalton
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I really appreciate that. Thank you!
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I know, that's why I follow you
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Great exercise, thanks for sharing yours! I may do this too and if I do I'll post. I especially like your comment about mullets, lol. Do you think they'll ever be in style again? I can't imagine liking them, but then I said that about bellbottoms in the late 1990s and they came back soon after!
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Thank you, @natureofbeing! I'd really like to read yours! Oh, mullets! I had a mega-mullet in the 80's but sheered it off before I graduated. I hope they're never in style again but most things run in a 20 year cycle.
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I did it ;-)
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Sometimes we dont know how far we can go, until a pen and paper comes along.
This is awesome, your 20 year old self would be proud.
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Those moments of reflection are so valuable as you get older. Sometimes you can feel like you're standing still unless you reflect back. Thank you so much for reading and for your kind comment!
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You are welcome sir, 👏👏👏👏👏
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Very interesting thank you for sharing appreciate it keep up the good work @mannyfig1956
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Thank you, Sir! I appreciate it!
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Will certainly take up the challenge, I would never have dreamt of writing a letter to my younger self but often wish I could turn back the clock and do some things differently, could I have stopped some of the tragedies that happened? Will be back with my letter, but will take a while...20 was a long long time ago for me ;) Most interesting, thought provoking post @ericvancewalton!
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So glad you enjoyed it @lizelle! The most valuable part of this for me was remembering back the person I was back then. It already felt like another incarnation for me. There's this core of who I am that hasn't changed but a lot of other aspects of me have. I look forward to your post!
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Awesome post, @ericvancewalton!
I found so many useful things in what you said. I know that you're talking to yourself, but in a way, it feels like you're talking to me too (I'm 18). Especially the part about putting your dream on hold, amazing advice (but I'm sure you know that already).
Since I'm too young to do this, I thought I'd do it in reverse, so I wrote a letter to 50 year old me (a future me) instead.
I hope you can check it out, as I'm curious what you'd think.
It was an interesting experience.
Thanks!
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It was fabulous @honeydue! Great work! It really changes your perspective, doesn't it?
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Thank you, again, I'm really glad you liked it. Yes, it really does, it's an interesting prospect...I often wonder what future me will think of present me. On the other hand, I also wonder what I would think of future me. I hope I'll be someone I can be proud of :)
It's funny...in a way, I worry about my future self as if she were a child...I hope she won't run into trouble, I hope she won't do anything bad, hope she'll be happy...and so on..
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Eric...that was so beautiful. And so many things in there that I would write to my twenty year old self that I suddenly had something in my eye.
Such a personal letter, I feel honored that you would share it with all of us. My heart is full of love for you my friend.
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Thanks so much, my friend! Exercises like this really are a portal to deeper self-discovery. I feel the more I know myself the easier it is to be the best version of myself. I appreciate that and the feeling is likewise!
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That is really powerful... I'm sending this to my 19-year-old son who is a passionate writer and asking him to do the same. Thanks for sharing this with us!
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Thanks @ezravancil! I hope he finds it helpful. Is your son on Steemit?
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Wow, what an amazing idea and what a fun read!
"I love you, I really do, but I’m so glad I’m not you anymore." Oh how true this is.
I shall give this a try, thanks so much for the inspiration!!
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Thank you @noboxes! I hope the exercise provides you as much insight as it did me. I can't wait to read yours!
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Good story and your old pic is very nice
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Thanks, that was 24 years ago, so hard to believe!
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A few days ago I came across a letter written by my 20-year old self to herself. Felt very bad for my former self. So writing another letter to that poor soul would be most confusing for her...
Yes, I'd like to point out the mistakes she/I was making decades ago, but I do think we only learn through our own mistakes and no amount of advice, including from our own wiser older versions, can prevent that.
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I bet that was interesting to find! I agree we are meant to learn from our mistakes. This exercise was more a barometer of all the ways in which I've changed. It felt like making peace with past regrets.
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Thank you for that smile! Wriiten from your heart, what an mazing idea to write to the younger you. He seems to be a very different you, well done on all the things you have come to realize and that have made you be happier and more true- more you! How important it is to remember where we have been to see the growth. First then we can realize how far we have actually come. For me I can many times get lost in only seeing the things that I am missing, the things I need to improve and tend to forget on seeing the things that already has improved and how I have grown as a person. I will definitely take this amazing task to my table and make something out of it. I am just curious and want to ask you how it would be to write a letter to the, lets say, 80 years old you? Take care. Namaste
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You're welcome and thank you for taking the time to read it! Yes, I was raised in a warm, loving household but grew up in a very tough, inner city neighborhood and I lost my way for a lot of years. I'm glad you're going to try this. Maybe I'll try writing the letter to my eighty year old self next! Thank you and Namaste!
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Bill and Ted was the best time travel movie
Bill: "Can we get your dad's keys?"
Ted: "We could steal them, but he lost them two days ago."
Bill: "If only we could go back in time to when he had them and steal them then."
Ted: "Well... why can't we?"
Bill: "Because we don't got time!"
Ted: "We could do it after the report!"
Bill: "Ted, good thinking dude! After the report we'll time travel back to two days ago, steal your dad's keys and leave them here!"
Ted: "Where?"
Bill: "I don't know. How about behind that sign? That way, when we get here now, they'll be waiting for us.""See?"
Ted: "Whoa, yeah! So, after the report, we can't forget to do this, otherwise it won't happen. ...But it did happen! Hey, it was me who stole my dad's keys!"
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That movie is a classic. Hilarious!
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Oh man, I've read this two times already.
I will read it tomorrow and comment again haha.
I want to both not forget most of the points, and maybe even to create my own post of this.
Amazing post my friend!
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Thank you very much @the-alien! I'd really like to read yours. If you create one please feel free to drop the link in the comments here!
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Will do, I'm looking forward to sit down, think about it and write a good one. :)
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very good publication, I really liked you have my vote.
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I appreciate the support!
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Very nice time travel story
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Thanks! : )
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Excellent post, I invite you to visit my blog, greetings
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@ericvancewalton you brought some very useful insight. quite blown away by this one and congrats on the new book! Ive never thought about writing a letter to my 20 yr old self. i wish that would have actually happened lol i thought i knew everything then and felt invincible and certainly did not think life would be so difficult. but the beauty is that we keep on growing and improving if we are willing to ride out the storms. definitely following and giving upvote. great work!
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wow i like your post
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