I saw this posted on Facebook and
it got me thinking...
My immediate thought was “two
words? How the *BLEEP* will I
manage with only two words?” Also, if you could write such a note and by
some miracle travel back in time to deliver it to a younger self, why on earth
would you waste the opportunity by only writing two words on that note? No, no,
no, I would need more than a couple of pages, fine lined, double sided, thank
you very much!
Having said that, let’s see, what
would I say with limited words…
I guess what I write would depend
greatly on what age my younger self is at the time of receiving such phantom
note.
If I were a youngster in primary
school, let’s say ten years old, it would be easy. My note would simply say: “Play more!” I’d tie the note to a small rock, toss it to
myself on the school playground and head straight back to the present.
If, however, my miracle time
machine took me to a teenage version of myself, things would get a bit trickier. I would have a number of two-worded notes to
deliver, and they would read something like this:
“Report bullies”
“Participate more”
“Sleep more”
“Exercise!”
“Study harder”
“Be more confident”
“Stand up for yourself”
“Pick a hairstyle!”
But this is where I would need
more words, to say things like:
“Teachers are not always right”
“Learn to channel negative
thoughts into positive ones”
“Give the future a bit more
serious thought”
As we grow older and life gets
more serious, the advice required gets more complicated. This is only natural.
A note to a twenty-one-year-old me
would read:
“Date more”
“Sleep less”
“Party harder”
“Open savings account”
“Exercise!”
“Have you picked that hairstyle
yet?
Twenty-five and my notes now read:
“Nice hair!”
“Fantastic body!”
“Recognise the above and be more
confident”
“Be more outgoing”
“Dance more!”
“Take more risks”
“Have more faith”
“Select boyfriends more carefully”
“Open savings account. Now!”
“Exercise, please!”
Thirty-two-me is at university and
will get a whole stack of pink Post-it notes:
“Fantastic husband! Good job!”
“Make more friends”
“Choose a different line of study”
“Choose a different university”
“Don’t allow exes of any kind to
walk over you”
“Embrace positive people and
thoughts”
“Go. To. Gym!”
“Try to get a degree or try to get
pregnant, but don’t try both at the same time”
I am thirty-seven and my notes now
read:
“Be less afraid”
“Loose weight”
“Exercise!”
“Read more”
“Write, write, write!”
“You hate your job, your boss is a
tool. Quit!”
“Your stepson is a teenager, he
hates everyone, not just you. This too
shall pass.”
See how much more complex these
notes get? Life, huh?
And now, with me about to turn
forty-three? What would my notes say
now?
“Write more”
“Read more”
“Look after your health”
“Don’t worry so much about life’s what-if’s”
“Sometimes we don’t get what we
want. Accept that and learn to want what
you got”
“Not everyone will like you. Embrace those who do. Forget those who don’t”
“Your husband is happy, you are
happy. Little else really matters”
“You actually turned out ok, kid.
Don’t let negative people tell you otherwise”
“Embrace kindness and pay it
forward”
“Let go”
“Love harder”
“Play more”
“Breathe. Just breathe”
There you have it. Life, along with my imaginary notes got very
complicated there for a while, but thankfully, it seems the adage is correct,
with age comes a certain level of wisdom and an ability to break down complex
issues to their simpler forms. Let go,
love harder, play more. And above all
else, don’t forget to breathe…
What would your notes say?
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