I want to tell you a little story about when I tried to break up with my now Husband when we were dating. It all started with the typical "we need to talk" text. I was feeling a little torn between having a serious relationship with him or "enjoying the college life". He ended up leaving work early and meeting me at my house. My roomie was home so we decided to go sit on the back deck and have "the talk". Long story short... I still remember the main thing he said after listening to me explain how I was feeling... he said "In 5 years from now you are either going to look back at this and wonder what could have been or we will look back together and laugh. You choose." Well..obviously it was the latter...and here we are a decade later still laughing. Let me elaborate on why my young adult dating drama was a life lesson for all of us. As I have gone through life I have realized how powerful it is to take a 5 year from now viewpoint. I will share a few more personal examples to give you an idea:
--> 5 years from now I want to look back and remember how safe I felt when I didn't apply for that new job .....(OR).... 5 years from now I want to remember how scared I was when I applied for that new job, but how good it felt for pursuing my dreams and not allowing fear to hold me back.
--> 5 years from now I want to remember not going to the beach because I didn't have my "bikini bod" ready and didn't want anyone to see me..... (OR)......5 years from now I want to remember that fun day on the beach when I declared that I wouldn't let a "bikini bod" define my enjoyment of life.
--> 5 years from now I want to remember not embarrassing myself by pursuing that not common hobby I didn't tell anyone that I spend hours Youtubing .....(OR)..... 5 years from now I want to look back on the early days of the hobby that brings me so much joy, who cares what anyone else thinks of it!
If you don't read any other part of this READ THIS.... When you are looking at your life, or trying to make a decision I encourage you to think about how you would feel about it 5 years from now. If you make XYZ decision now, are you happy/proud/at peace with that decision 5 years from now? If not, what choice do you need to make now to be at peace with that decision later? Let me share another VERY personal example. I have been struggling with body image recently. I have spent a lot of time thinking "Do I want to look back 5 years from now and remember how I didn't enjoy that extra glass of wine/snack to try and stay thin?" or do I want to look back and remember how delicious that extra glass of wine/snack was and how enjoyable the experience was when I was enjoying those things?
To sum things up, I encourage you to look at each moment as an opportunity to truly live. Do not stay stuck in fear, insecurity, complacency, or doubt. Take charge of your life and live like you are dying.
