I have been writing a lot less on this blog only because my time has been consumed with writing for my social media sites as well as the blog for my coaching practice (which you can find here).

But I still want to keep up with writing a bit here, since this is primarily for my family and for me personally.

I heard a story the other day that really struck me. Then I talked about it all at length with my coach. (If you have never had a coach, then you should really try it out! It is really life changing to work consistently with someone with a future focus on your life! And not just a one off session, but to really commit to a chunk of time to work on some goals. I am such a firm believer now, and even Rob has bought into it after seeing some results working with a coach!)

Anyhow, she painted the picture of imagining yourself walking along a path, heading towards the future that you are dreaming of. And not just dreaming of, but actively walking towards. Sure, you may not be exactly 100% certain of what lies ahead, or how you are going to make all these dreams come to pass – but you know the direction you want to go in and you are just taking one step at a time, keeping your eye on the final destination. All of a sudden, you feel a tap on your shoulder. You turn around and the person says to you, “Actually you can’t go that way. You’ve never been this far before. You are heading into uncharted territory. It is unfamiliar. You don’t know the exact path. You need to turn around and come back here”.

A bit baffled, you ask this person, “Well is there something wrong with where I’m going? Is there confirmed danger up ahead? Is there something you know that I don’t?”

“Well, no”, they respond, “it’s just that you have never been this way before. So it is unknown. You may not be able to do it. It may just be better to come back here with me to a place that is more certain”.

You now have to make the choice.

Do you forge ahead and keep going on this path that you believe will take you to your new destination, or do you turn back and go back with this person?

What would you do?

That really got me thinking.

The person tapping me on my shoulder is “past me”. “Past me” is scared that I am venturing into new paths. She wants me to stay in the safe zone. To keep doing the same things. To stay with what is familiar.

“Past me” feels it is her job to keep catching up to me and tap me on the shoulder and tell me to come back. She is coming from a place of love and concern. But she is also coming from a place of insecurity, and desire for comfort and ease and familiarity. She may mask that she is all knowing and KNOWS that there is danger up ahead – but she doesn’t. All she knows is the past.

Up ahead is “future me”. And believe it or not, “future me” is just as concerned about me as “past me”. She too wants to have my back, protect me and keep me safe. But she also wants me to grow, to push myself and become who she knows I am capable of becoming – because she is that version of me! She has been all the “me’s” before, she knows that there are pitfalls along the path I am on, and she knows that I am able to overcome them. She is calling for me to trust her and to consistently take a step forward.

I turn to “past me” and thank her. Thank her for her concern, for her love, for her experiences and wisdom. I thank her for looking out for me. I thank her for always having my back, for sticking with me through some tough times, and for allowing me to have the experiences that I needed to have to get where I am.

But, I do not want to to be pulled back by her. I do not need to stay back with her. She has great value and I love her. But I am ready to let her go.

Unless, she wants to come along with us. She is welcome to become a travel companion as we move into the future. She may not want to bring everything with her. She can leave some stuff behind. She may lighten her load, and empty out a part of her suitcase to leave new room for new things we are going to collect. So many souvenirs to collect along the way!

She can give some wisdom along the way too, but she has to work it out with “future me”. “Future me” is my guide now and will be in the driver’s seat. I trust that “future me” will take us along the best path, which inevitably will include some bumps along the way, to the our new destination.

I can’t wait to get there, More importantly, I can’t wait for the journey along the way. I am travelling with the best companions.