A Conversation with your 8-Year-Old Self
By Javier Iglesias – Mindset Wizardry
They say that there are only two people in this world that you need to make proud. It's the 8-year-old version of you and the 80-year-old version of you.
If those two people are happy with the way you lived your life, it means you did everything right, and that your life had significance, contribution, and impact.
When you reflect and practice this simple, yet powerful exercise, you will be tapping into your experience and what you have learned. As a result, you can feel proud about it, and you can apply these same lessons into the future. It will also help you reflect on the things you still need to do in your life, so you avoid pain. You may ask, the pain of what? All of us make a choice between two pains - the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. What pain are you willing to suffer?
In this blog, we will focus on the advice we would give our 8-year-old self. In the second part, we will focus on the conversation we would have with our 80-year-old self. Let’s dive into it.
Dear Eight-year-old Me,
I’m coming to you from your future-self. It sounds crazy, right? Believe it or not, my age doesn’t feel as old as I thought it would when I was your age. I would like to share some advice now that I am traveling back to you from your future.
First, don’t be afraid to try new things, to take risks and to seek opportunities. Put yourself out there and go after them.
You will experience fear because as you grow, you will have many questions. Questions like:
✅ What do you want to be when you grow up?
✅Where are you going to be?
✅ What are you going to do?
You won’t be able to answer some of these questions because the world is big and complicated, and everything is changing around you. Sometimes, you feel confused and don’t know what to think. This is OK.
Don’t feel that you need to have clear answers to all these questions right now. Instead, live your life and be open to exploring new things. Look for your passion, knowing that what makes you genuinely happy doesn't need to make sense to others. In the end, everything will be OK. I am here to guide you.
If things don’t work out, don’t dwell on it. Instead, ask yourself what lessons you can learn and move ahead. Stop talking yourself out of things and say “yes” more often. Never give up because it is the easy way out. Instead, learn what it means to fail forward when something doesn’t work as planned.
Let your magic shine. Remember, you are unique and the people around you sometimes won’t get you. That is fine. Express your thoughts, share your ideas and be your authentic self. It's more important to be valued than to be liked.
The world is your stage – so perform your magic because there’s an audience waiting to experience what you have to offer. Most people impose limits on themselves, don’t do that. Spread your wings and fly high.
Always remember to be kind to others and to yourself. In the end, people will remember the way you make them feel.
Sometimes you will be afraid, but I am telling you, don’t be. Most of the things you're worried about won't matter in 5-10 years. The best is yet to come, so go ahead and know that I will be with you every step of the way.
With Love and Pride,
Your Future Self