The Journey #8: Go Back in Time and Help Yourself
Among those who entertain thoughts of time travel, one central fear dominates: the possibility of doing something that might accidentally wreck your present life as you know it. (That is, you don’t want to accidentally wipe yourself out of existence by somehow preventing your parents from ever meeting each other.)
But last night, I had the opposite thought. What if you could go back in time specifically to speak with a younger you? Let’s call him/her Y2.
What would you tell Y2, and when would it be most beneficial to share those words?
For example, was there a time in your life—perhaps it stretched for month or years—when you were stuck with a way of thinking that caused you great pain? Did you spend years laboring under the wrong impression? Did you dwell in ignorance, and thus limit your own potential or your ability to help others?
Somehow, I find the idea of literally traveling back in time to speak with Y2 to be much more compelling and evocative than all the talk these days of self-compassion and cutting yourself a break. Here’s why…
After living through various stages of our life, we actually know what happened. We are armed with facts. We can draw conclusions about the past that are literally data-driven. Example: nagging your spouse for ten years didn’t make them a better person, it only pushed you apart. Another example: “being confident” didn’t increase your accomplishments, it only offended others and weakened many of your relationships.
Rather than just reading these words and forgetting them, here’s a possibility: what if you literally write a letter to Y2? Then, address it carefully to the time and place when it will do the most good.
P.S. It may also do you quite a bit of good, right now.
P.P.S. I’ve turned on comments on my Substack website, so you can share your thoughts with other readers of this newsletter.