Letters to Myself
Dear Meg,
You are doing great…
Call me an old soul, but I love to write letters.
I have a box full of stationery ready for all occasions; birthdays, deaths, anniversaries, and even simply “thinking of you” or “thanks”. What was once a very common thing, now stands out.
It is a wonderful way to stay connected and mail a little joy throughout the year. The reactions from loved ones never disappoints. Always surprised to receive something thoughtful in the mail instead of another bill or store catalog.
I have another letter writing practice that is a bit more magical.
For many years now I have a practice of writing a letter to my future self.
I write what I am dreaming to do in the next 6 months. I write it in the present tense, as much as possible - I am, I have, I know… etc. When I am done, I seal it and set a calendar reminder to help me remember when to pull it back out and read.
When the 6 months is up, it is like getting a birthday present. The excitement to open and read what my hopes and dreams were. A wonderful exercise to see what I was excited about and to explore if it didn’t happen, do I still even want it?
I then go on to write another letter to my future 6 month self, and repeat the process all over again.
I love this writing practice because it helps me stay anchored into my dreams. As I get older and daily life responsibilities tug at me; family, career, and pandemics, I can easily lose track of my desires.
When I started hosting in-person women circles I shared this practice and it was a huge hit.
There was a twist though. Instead of hoping everyone remembered to read the letters, I had them put their letters in a sealed, self addressed, envelope. I collected the letters, kept them in a safe spot until the 6 month mark, and then mailed them all out to the women from my circle.
I felt like a fairy godmother when I mailed them, I absolutely loved it.
It was also fun, because most women forgot they even wrote the letters.
Many revelations happen from this writing practice. Dreams fulfilled and dreams redirected. It is an anchor to check back into what was on your heart 6 months ago. To feel how you’ve grown, expanded, or gotten lost and distracted. All valuable insights and part of the cycle of life.
I encourage myself and all the women I work with to be curious about the information instead of judging if it is “good” or “bad”, because that is where growth is. Not always being perfect, but continuing to go in the direction you want, in any given 6 month period. We always have free will to get back on track, or choose another dream, or maybe go back to it at another time.
A delicious spiral of living… not from point a to point b, but cyclical, inside and out, to around again.
What are your dreams for the next 6 months?
If you are looking for a new way to call in your vision, give this a try.
Love,
Meg
