In the first grade I wrote a message to my future children in my journal. It was, “kids, I won’t get mad at you when you dig a big hole in the yard.” I guess I felt like when I turned into an adult I’d forget what it was like to be a kid. At some point I would mistakenly value a nice yard more than a hole to the center of the Earth. I wanted to speak from the past and remind myself what my true values should be. I love reading old journal entries. They’re filled with messages from past versions of me. Missionary Kyle wrote, “Never put your girlfriend before missionary work.” Soon after the mission, when dating was actually an option, I did exactly what I had warned myself about. I can’t say I regret it either. Now I'm married to the love of my life! What happened to missionary Kyle? Where did he go? Does he still exist somewhere in the past? Does he exist somewhere inside of me right now?
It’s a worthwhile exercise to go over some of your outdated values and priorities. Were they abandoned for the right reason? Did you just get caught up in life and forget about them? Which ones deserve a place in your life again? At the same time, what's important to you right now? What do you want to tell future you? Write it down some place where future you will find it.
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