Life Choices
A Thank You Letter From Your Future Self Can Save Your Current Self
Write it now, and you will start living up to it
I am stunned by the impact this had on me.
It gave me the change in perspective I needed to move forward smartly through my transition toward the ultimate life results I desire.
It made things so real and, yes, so attainable.
It’s like the power of intention manifesting before it manifests.
It is a thank-you note from my future self, and here it ‘tis.
Dear Paul,
Thank you. I mean, really, THANK YOU!!!
Here I am at age 95, still healthy and active. Still living a purpose-driven and relevant life that I am passionate about.
Thank you for the decisions, efforts, and determinations you made decades ago to not settle and instead transform us and our lives into something amazing.
Something perfect for us.
I do realize I am closer to the end than the beginning (Duh! See, we kept our sense of humor).
But I don’t feel the end coming. I’m in no rush for it, and I don’t fear it even if it comes tomorrow.
I am more than anything grateful that we “went for it.” Therefore, I have no regrets.
I recall when I was your age, my biggest fear was, in my final days, I’d be overwhelmed with regret.
Regret that I didn’t live a life that was right for me.
Regret that I didn’t make an impact.
Regret that I didn’t have the courage to go for it.
Regret that, while you already have a lot to be proud of, you know you still have a lot more to give and a lot more to get out of life.
You are right. There is more from life and from you.
Getting that “more” is one of the greatest gifts the new reality of aging has to offer.
We received that gift because we put in the time and effort to make it so.
It started when we were approaching retirement age. In doing our homework, we discovered there is a whole new life map with decades of healthy and active life ahead of us.
We started following that map and trailblazing it in many ways.
We learned about and from the people ahead of us.
How they were rethinking, reimagining, and reinventing what it is to be older, and how they were having some of if not the best years of their life.
We started learning from experts, successful people, and just plain folks who had transformed their lives and then succeeded.
We heeded what they said, and it paid off.
We took the time to examine and be honest with ourselves.
We examined our beliefs which are the root cause of where we are in life at any moment.
We got rid of the outdated and false self-limiting beliefs and replaced them with updated, true, and better ones.
We took 10,000+ baby steps to improve our health. Every day one little step in what we ate and didn’t eat. Taking brisk trail walks and making the gym a habit that became a fulfilling pleasure.
We took 10,000+ baby steps to a new way forward for our life and discovered our life got better and better and better every step of the way.
We developed a great morning routine (I still practice it!!!), totally focused on ourselves with journaling, meditation, hydration, and yoga with no “electronics” and the agendas of others.
Upon reflection, this was huge, launching our day in this way.
We launched our new endeavor, and it helped finance our longer health and life span.
More than that, we found the work to be fulfilling and rewarding (this added to our incredible health).
It also aligned with the life situation we wanted and deserved.
I now realize where you are in life is actually the perfect time to do this (OK, granted, we probably could have done it in our 40s or anytime later, but we just didn’t know any better).
When we get “older,” we’ve learned enough about life, ourselves, and the world to really make a transformation that is perfect for us.
It’s time.
We made this new phase of life, “My Turn,” and it has been exactly that.
We never stopped learning, exploring, and growing.
We felt the same as we did in our 30s physically, mentally, and emotionally (yes, it’s true, you never lose who you are at your core).
But with decades of experience under our belt, we were able to do more with it all.
I am still driven to improve, learn, innovate, and make a difference.
That drive and connection with the real me have made all the difference for us in the intervening decades.
We are leaving a legacy that is really meaningful for me right now (trust me, you get around 95, and legacy is important).
What we have done has made an impact on so many lives. Sharing what we learned through creating New Way Forward made an impact starting the first day.
In reality, the joy is in the journey and in the improvements we experience every day.
Also, our sons, their families, and now our great-grandchildren have imbued upon them this amazing view of what life can be.
I remember that silly quote we came up with, “Those that did, did. Those that didn’t didn’t.”
Man, oh man, is that the truth.
We did it, and for that, I thank you.
Love,
Me/You/Us
To help you start your New Way Forward in your life, receive your free “Launch Yourself Get Started Guide” by going to www.NewWayFWD.com.
