Would younger-you be proud of today-you?

This week I had an interesting conversation with someone who has gone through some terrible things, to put it lightly. And it got me thinking: What motivates us to do good? Or better yet, when we don't see another way out than darkness, what can we use to motivate us to find the light instead?

I searched no further than the photo of 4-year-old me. And I thought: "That's it. That quote that we've heard or seen but choose to forget. The one that challenges us to think of our younger selves and if we've lived up to their wild dreams and expectations." And if the answer is no, then I believe you've found your motivation.

I don't want to spoil too much because I truly believe the poem speaks for itself. And I don't want to connect it to one specific experience or story FOR YOU. Because I pride myself on pushing you to find your own connection to it. None of us are perfect. Few of us fulfill our youngest dreams, but how many of us are truly still trying? Let's live up to the expectations of the younger versions of ourselves that believed we could do anything we set our minds to.

Time to make young you proud

Photo by Lucrezia Carnelos on Unsplash

Make you proud

Some days I do everything by the book

Some days I succeed

Some days I get through 24 hours

without thinking about only me

Some days I’m satisfied with my progress

and how far I seem to have come

I look back and appreciate

all the good that I’ve done

But most days

it is harder

Most days I yearn to go back

Most days I have to dig a little deeper

to avoid another setback

Most days it’s easier

to revert to my old habitual ways

Most days it’s tough

Most days ...

So when most days come along

and try to knock me down

I remind myself where I come from:

The imagination of 8-year-old me

Who had only admiration

for everything I would one day be

So when most days hit me like a brick wall

I hit right back and say:

“Most days you would’ve gotten me,

but most days, is not

Today”

Let me know what you thought of this one in the comments below or on FB/Instagram. Also keen to know if you liked that the piece related to last week's poem. In future I'm thinking of doing monthly or quarterly themes and I would love to know what you think about the idea. Get in touch.