Note to Self:
Remember to explain things to your readers. This isn’t just about you know.
Good idea, other self-writing-a-note-to-me-about-the-blog.
Don’t mention it, self-writing-the-blog.
No matter what age you are, you can look back at a time when you were perhaps not as wise, not the pillar of wisdom and good judgment that you are now. Don’t you wish you could go back and hand-deliver to yourself the lessons that you had to learn the hard way? Give yourself some clues to poor decisions made? Or things learned too late to capitalize on, opportunities missed; like youth itself for instance.
While you were at it you might even drop a stock tip or two on yourself and who won/will win the 2021 World Series.
But what about now genius, are you perfect yet? Infallible? Isn’t your future self watching you through the impassable curtain of time, screaming at the top of their lungs: “You moron, you’re doing it wrong, you’re missing it!”
But we can’t hear it. We’re too busy looking at our other younger selves, screaming at the top of our lungs, “you moron… and don’t sell your friggin’ Apple stock yet either! It’s called an ‘iPod’!”
Maybe, if we step outside of our present selves for a moment and take some clues from the things we might tell our past selves and engage in some good-ole common sense, we can make a good guess at the things our older wiser future self might tell us in from our 'now'.
This week’s blog is my attempt at that very thing…
Note To Self:
Time is passing. When you were even younger you wasted it like it was water on the ocean. Now you are worried about every moment that you’re not productive. The younger you didn’t have it all wrong you know. Time spent worrying about time wasted is not only time wasted; it deepened the wrinkles in my forehead. My heart and spirit haven’t benefited from it either. No, time isn’t water on the ocean, but it can’t be kept in a bottle either. Let it flow, enjoy the ride.
Play more mentally challenging games, keeping learning, test your memory. I’ll have a easier time remembering when to take all these damn pills if you do.
Sometimes there are people in life that just piss you right off, I know. If you got to know them, in time you’d learn to appreciate many good things about them. You’d probably tell others: “Oh, they’re alright, that’s just their ‘stuff’. They don’t mean anything by it.” Why not assume that’s the case. Why not assume everyone has a side worth getting to know. Isn’t that what you’d want others to do when you’re a jerk.
Oh come on, admit it. You can be a jerk sometimes too.
Continue to dabble in other disciplines and instruments but learn to focus enough to become a master of your first love: the bass guitar; tap every drop of its untapped potential.
Some of the people you know now will die much sooner than you think. I can’t tell you which ones, so love them all like you’ll never see them again. But, um, lay off the bear hugs and the impassioned goodbyes, it kinda freaks people out.
The things you think are really important right now, right this moment? they aren’t, not really.
What is?
The stuff you’d guess if you really thought about it: family, faith in something greater than yourself, community, exercise, fiber, stopping to look in childlike wonder at the shiny things in life; just not while you’re driving or juggling chainsaws…
Love.
I became more-or-less like the people you are hanging around now, so do me a favor; call up a billionaire once in a while. -Nah, just kidding. Do whatever you have to to spend time around people who are happy in their life, avoid those who aren’t. Park yourself next to those older and wiser than yourself, then shut your mouth and listen. Spend some time around younger folks that stop to look at shiny stuff too.
I can’t remember what it was the wife and I ever fought about; not a one, not a clue. Why don’t you forget them as they happen, you’re going to eventually anyway.
Finish that state quarter collection you started before they get too hard to find. No, it’s still not worth very much but I love taking it out and looking at it from time to time.
Even though I have some counsel for you, I have learned not to regret things we’ve done and not done. I also have learned not to give advice to anyone that doesn’t ask for it and even then, sparingly. While I’m being contradictory: don’t take any advice that you didn’t ask for yourself.
I’ll just let your brain spin around a while on whether to heed that one or not.
Save early, save often and for heaven’s sake back up more often. You have at least one more cataclysmic hard drive crash in your future.
Don’t give up on your music, writing and other creative endeavors. You really can make a living off of your creativity, you just have to believe it enough to take some risks and commit yourself to the point that your self-confidence starts to snowball.
You need to be smarter with your money and more aggressive about getting paid. I have people who do that for me now but you don’t and won’t until you can do it yourself.
Ironic huh?
Spend less time trying to impress and more time being impressive.
Once you get used to eating smaller portions of healthier foods you won’t miss it and almost everything will be better, I promise.
You will miss having a cookie whenever you want or as much ice cream as you can stomach. Sorry; it’s not all sunshine and unicorn glitter here in your future.
Oh, and being thin: you do get cold real easy, just put on a sweater.
I do!
Take a little more heat when the blame comes around, give away a little more credit when the accolades are pouring in. What you deserve will come to you in the end. Just concentrate on making that a scenario to look forward to.
I bet you think I’m going to tell you to be less impulsive, but I’m not. Be impulsive; just learn from your bigger mistakes and create a sensible balance between the sugar of the moment vs. the whole grain of the years. Life is about both.
Change your habits to live more sustainably. You're doing some things but there's a lot more you can do. Somehow, there are folks still trying to debate over global warming after all these years, but enough people thought it was worth taking a chance to change, instead of taking a chance by doing nothing and it benefited far more that CO2 levels. There are a few folks who are a little less rich but everyone’s life is a little better and we go to bed at night knowing we've been good stewards of God’s gifts.
If a tall blond dude named Klaus tells you that you can earn ten thousand dollars in three days by flying to Zurich
You will make more money by-the-way. I have more stuff, a better car, a nicer place to live than you do right now. I’m used to it though and live life-day-to-day just as you do now. There are still things I would like that I can’t afford… yet! Even though you have less, recognize that you really are basically happy now. I cherish memories of what is your present life.
Speaking of memories, I remember Delilah, the cat whom we found as a kitten at that film shoot in Mississippi
Keep writing your ‘blog’ as you call it, you’ll get better at it and it’ll lead to other things. “Blog” -ha! I haven’t heard that word in twenty years.
Regarding stocks:
Research and diversity my friend, research and diversity!
The 2021 World Series:
We were talking about full-contact poker right?
What about you? Leave a comment about what your future self might tell you; both as positive reinforcement and constructive criticism.
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