Good morning to all 210 readers, we are one week in. In the interest of giving myself a day of rest, I’m going to try something different on weekends: a single challenge spread over both days. These weekend challenges will be a bit more demanding than the weekday ones; they may require facing uncomfortable thoughts, and starting uncomfortable conversations. But know that, as with every challenge, I’ve either done them myself and found them helpful, or, I’ll be doing them alongside you. Thanks for following along. —Jack
Weekend challenge: Write a letter to your future self.
Crisis is a knife. It cuts throughs layers of confusion. Exposes, to the clean air, what was once cocooned by habit, routine, and ignorance. It opens a wound, revealing the blood of your life.
You still remember your past self—the one before crisis. Now try to imagine your future self—the one on the other side. What do you want to tell them about your life right now?
What seems important, essential?
What seems trivial?
What are you doing more of, and what are you doing less?
What are you fighting for, that you didn’t fight for before?
What are you most grateful for?
Write it down. And when you're done writing, stick your letter to your future self above your desk, or on the refrigerator. Put it somewhere visible, so that in the coming weeks, you can glance at it, every once in a while, to remind yourself.
Or tuck your letter away, in a drawer, book, or shoebox. Let yourself forget entirely. Then one day, when this is long past, when the wound has healed, closed, and scarred over— You’ll find it, and remember, the blood of your life.