Write Yourself A Letter Connecting With Your Future Self

During a recent business trip, I was in a gift shop, picking up a card for a friend, when I glanced up and noticed a rectangular book with the cover made to look like an airmail envelope. It was entitled Letters To My Future Self. I was intrigued.

I flipped through to find an assortment of beautifully designed tear-out notes that folded into pre-addressed envelopes. Some were addressed to ‘Me, Older and Wiser’, others were to ‘The More Experienced Me’, and still others were addressed to ‘My Future Self’.

Each note offered a different writing prompt including phrases such as, ‘Where I want to go’; ‘All the things I’d like to try someday…’; and ‘This is what I live for….’ to help kick-start the writing process, and on the back of each envelope were spaces to fill in the ‘Sealed On’ and ‘Open On’ dates.

Many of us keep a journal, but the idea of sealing up our thoughts and ideas time-capsule-style – to be shared with our future selves down the road – is inspiring.

Imagine opening a letter from your ten-years-younger self with words that have traveled through time – giving you a perspective on where you were all those years ago, and where you stand today. You might read a long-ago-written note to yourself that declares, ‘It’s time to kick fear to the curb…’ and revel how, in the ensuing years, you stepped out of the box to start your own business; …or a note from the past that reads, ‘You loved throwing pots in high school – you must get back to it!’ as you notice the beautiful pieces you’ve made that now decorate your living room.

You can create your own ‘letters to yourself’ using any number of prompts that inspire you, or, if you’re interested in the Letters To My Future Self book of notes, you can find it here online.

There’s power in the pen…power in writing down your hopes and dreams…and power in declaring them and tucking them away. Then, like seeds planted, those hopes and dreams can take hold and grow… creating your future self.