Time Traveler

If you could go back in time, and talk to your past self, what would that conversation be like? Would it be filed with dire warnings and fears, how to avoid the pitfalls ahead and minimize suffering? 

 

Would you tell yourself the winning lottery numbers and not to go out with the redhead you met at a friend's wedding? 

Would you tell yourself to go back to school? Or drop out because it won't help you in the end? Or write a book about the adventures of a young wizard and his friends?

Do you think that a different experience would be a better one? 

Your soul has come here to learn. Some lessons can be observed, some can be learned through the stories of others and some must be experienced for them to really sink in. 

Who are you to judge yourself? Sometimes your worst experience can break you free of a destructive pattern that was holding you back. Sometimes the safe, easy, pain free way would teach you nothing. 

And what if you did know then what you know now? Being on a limited budget can teach you things that you'd never learn if you won the lottery. A car accident might give you an opportunity to write a book, or, simply show you how precious life is and encourage you to make the most of it. 

This is not to say that you should wish ill upon yourself to grow and learn. When you have truly learned, you have no need to experience illness and catastrophe. You learn to flow and dance harmoniously with life. When problems arise, you handle them effortlessly, then you move forward. 

Yes, it is just that simple. Does this mean that knowing this, you will never experience pain or suffering again? Possibly, but humans love a good drama. Where else would all the wonderful songs and stories come from? 

Jinnzania's side notes: I was taking a walk today, and thinking about not only how far I've come in the past year, but how far I've come in the last decade. If I was able to go back and talk to my past self, she'd probably run away screaming. She would think me cruel and heartless for walking away from some relationships, crazy for starting others, and terrified of events to come. Fears of ending up alone, never having children, experiencing a pain from which I thought I'd never recover,  would seem like nightmares come to life. 

In those days, life was safer. It was also bland and dry. I was numb and in a deep sleep. Just as it takes a great deal of electricity to restart a heart, I needed a significant jolt to wake up, and boy, did I get it! My life isn't perfect, but I've never felt stronger, happier and more prepared to face the future. 

So, what would I tell my past self? The same thing my future self tells me now: Take small steps, keep your eyes open, be grateful for all you have, and enjoy every minute. If you do these things the future will take care of itself. And never forget, that you are perfect as you are, and loved more than your mind can comprehend. <3