A letter to my future self.
photo by Kelly Mendoza
Have you ever written a letter to your future self? I’ve personally never done it (until now) and I have to admit, it seemed very intimidating and a bit bizarre. But after hearing Brooke Castillo’s (from The Life Coach School podcast) experience, I figured I had nothing to lose (and possibly so much to gain) and decided to give it a shot. Here are a few tips I discovered when writing my own letter:
Tips on getting started:
In Brooke’s letter, she speaks to herself in the present tense, as if she is already living the life she desires. This part is really important bc the whole point is to BELIEVE all of this is actually possible. It doesn’t matter how outlandish it sounds, (you’ll see some of the things I wrote and probably think I’m completely delusional) because how you get there is completely irrelevant. The point is to say the words out-loud, believe in them, and the Universe will provide the mechanism.
Another important point - you need to be VERY specific about what you are putting out there. For instance, try not to say, “I’m making a ton of money” say HOW MUCH you will be making. Example: “I am making a million dollars”. Granted, it’s really hard to be specific. I struggled with it myself and I plan on going back again several times to make things even clearer. You’ll probably have to do this too.
Write what is in your heart. Do not overthink it. Just start typing a stream of consciousness. Things may not sound right or eloquent at first (you’ll see what I mean when you read mine, ha) but you can always go back and adjust them or even add more. Again, the things you type may sound completely impossible to any conscious human, but I encourage you to just TRY those ideas on for size as if you’re trying on a new jacket. If you do this, I promise you will walk away from this exercise having learned some stuff about yourself that you weren’t even aware of. When you’re done, PRINT IT OUT, hang it somewhere you will remember, and reference it often.
Since I was writing to myself, I decided to speak in the second person, but I guess you can do it in the first person as well. Whatever works for you. In fact, if I did this again I would probably write it in the first person because that seems to make a little more sense.
End it with a few positive non-fluffy adjectives that you truly believe about yourself so you can look back and remember them when you’re feeling insecure.
Ok, so here is where I would typically preface with a bunch of self-doubt-y words that help me to feel less embarrassed about sharing this with you. However, I am going to refrain from all that and just say this is REALLY scary for me to put out there for everyone to read so please don’t judge. Having said that, if putting this out there helps even ONE person then it’s totally worth it. Alright, time to manifest the SHIT outta my dreams...
Dear Brandi,
You have come so far and are living the life of your dreams while also empowering women and mothers to do the same for themselves. You wrote a book that sold millions of copies and create amazing spiritual retreats for mothers who need to regain their sense of self and want to live more intentional lives. You are a loving and involved mother who also maintains a career you are passionate about that helps others while also providing an abundance of money for your family. With your husband, you maintain an investment property that provides a passive income for your family in addition to your dream home that has a large yard where you grow your own food and raise animals while teaching your children about sustainability and being connected to our Mother Earth. You are making a million dollars a year and you continuously invest your money and time into causes you believe in like homelessness, clean water for all, and advocating for underprivileged mothers. You have an abundance of money and time left over for traveling and exploring with your family and you use that money towards possessions that align with your values. You are a conscientious human who stands for what they believe in by loving this earth and all of the beings on it. You are raising two beautiful and healthy children who have modeled your example of love in this world and they shine their light on to others. You are a loving, compassionate, and supportive wife who is encouraging your husband to be his best/authentic self. You love yourself unconditionally and take care of your needs, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. You listen to your body and provide it with nutritious and delicious foods that don’t hurt our environment. Your body is energized and strong from your daily yoga and meditation practices. You are a loyal and loving friend/daughter/sister/PERSON who celebrates the successes of others and always shows up. You are changing the world by being true to yourself. You trust your intuition, stand for what you believe in, and are a team player in the game of life. You are a beautiful, vivacious, loving, compassionate, sensitive, and radiant woman.
Love always,
Brandi