Your future best self

I talk to myself. A lot.

I don’t actually speak to me, but to a future version of me. She’s wiser and more grounded. She has walked through the fire and come out the other side. She gives less fucks. I’ve named her Joy.

I met Joy through the process of a guided meditation which my mentor calls “Your Future Best Self”. Joy has been with me ever since.

The meditation invites you to envision a future version of yourself--ten or twenty years from now.

Settling into my breath, Joy began to appear. I envisioned her in beautiful detail—the silver of her hair, the slender shape of her body, the luxurious, flowy clothes she wore, and the simple jewelry she chose to accentuate with. Most of all, I felt her energy—calm, knowing, inviting, warm. I witnessed the way she drew people in. I could hear the sound of her laughter—explosive and boisterous, full of well, joy.

As the meditation came to a close, I was invited to write a letter to Joy. In it, I shared my hopes, my dreams, and my struggles with her. Joy wrote back and drew upon a depth of wisdom and love--imparting advice, and direction.

Let’s pause to acknowledge the ridiculousness of that last sentence because I can hear you judging. She knows that she’s writing to herself, right? Yes, thank you. I know that I’m writing to me from me. Until you try it, you might not understand the power of writing a letter to yourself. Pretending to be My Future Best Self offered a degree of separation from my current struggles. That space created room for wisdom.

Try it. I dare you! 

Soon, I realized I could talk to Joy whenever I wanted. Sometimes I write to her. Other times I speak to her in meditation or aloud as I am driving alone in my car. I ask her questions and wait patiently for her to respond.

What would you do, Joy?
What brings me closer to you?
What do you think about this opportunity?
Who would you ask for help?
How would you handle this conversation?

She always, always answers.

I know. It all sounds totally woo-woo. It’s a little out there. (Maybe for some, it’s really out there.) But here’s why it works, at least for me.

Joy is my North Star. She reminds me of who and how I want to be. The wisdom she holds, the warmth she emanates lives within me all of the time. The more I access those traits, the more I become her in real time.
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Joy is me. I am Joy.