Confessions of a Time Traveler

What if you had a chance to do it over again? By “it”, I mean your life. What if you could go back in time and make a different choice? Right a wrong. Say “yes” instead of saying “no” or vice versa. Would you do it? I’m not offering, I don’t really have a time machine; just a very vivid imagination and a wisdom born from lessons learned the hard way. So indulge me for a moment while I take a ride back in time, ten years ago to be exact and find that younger version of me, sit her down and give myself the advice only the future me could provide.

Eat Better

As cliché as it may sound, the first thing I would tell myself is, “You’ve got to eat more vegetables, preferably raw. I know, I know, you’re in a season where you can eat a cheeseburger everyday, three times a day and it has no affect whatsoever on your weight or immediate well-being but trust me it will. Ten years from now when your hormones change and things slow down you will wish like heck that you started eating healthier sooner. So take my advice and do it today”.

Save Money

Ten years ago, a great pair of shoes had just as much importance as my rent. Ten years later, I know better. The second thing I would tell myself is to save money. “No matter how hard it seems, no matter what budget you may be on at the moment, each week, every pay check, put away some money. Gaining discipline over your finances will be an immeasurable help to you in the future and for years to come”.

Be Fearless

The lesson that I would absolutely impart to my younger self is to never let fear motivate any of my decisions. “Don’t say “yes” to something just because you’re afraid you will never get the chance again. Don’t say “no” just because you’re afraid of what might happen. Follow your joy and let peace be your guide. When you pursue your passion and walk in your purpose, you will not go wrong”.

Seize the Day

Ten years ago my goal was to be fluent in Spanish. Ten years later, I still have that same goal. The reason why I’m not fluent in Spanish is because I kept putting it off for some day. Some day I will have more time, some day I will find the perfect teacher. Some day never came. I would tell my younger self that “some day” is not a day of the week and anything that is worth experiencing is worth making time for. Seize the day!

Then I would give myself a hug and say, “Hey, even though you’re learning some lessons the hard way, your future is bright. You married a great guy, you wrote an awesome book and that was just the beginning…”

3 Things Kids from the 70s & 80s Can Teach Today's Kids

As a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s summer held a magical allure for me. It meant playing outside from sun-up to sundown, endless games of hide and seek, double-dutch and jacks. I loved the muggy summer walks to the corner store with my friends, to purchase Grippo’s Chips and hot pickles. It was the best of times. The laughter of children filled the air and freedom was sweet and sticky, dripping down our arms like an ice cream cone in overflow. Unlike today, darkness carried no fear. Jars in hand, we engaged the night in boldness, warning all lightning bugs to beware. There is something to be gleaned from those kids, from that time, something that they could teach the youth of today.

The Outdoors are a Good Thing

The virtual world is fun and it can get you moving, but there is nothing like the real thing. Running, jumping, learning about nature and our place in it, help to define our appreciation for the earth as well as engender a sense of boldness and exploration. Nothing against the Wii, but there is something that happens when you actually kick a ball, hold a tennis racquet and grab the metal handle bars of a bike and engage.

It’s Okay to Lose

Now a days kids get a participation trophy just for showing up. As a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s, you only got a trophy if your team won. We kept score and it taught us how to enjoy victory as well as to accept defeat. I can honestly say that I learned more about competing when I lost. I learned that I had the ability to become better and to stretch myself in ways that I hadn’t before. Character isn’t born when everything goes your way. Character is cultivated in the losses and in the trenches when you learn to work as a team and overcome.

Be Fully Present in the Moment

Modern technology is great. It gives us the ability to connect with people anywhere, 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. It can also, unfortunately, be a distraction when we are more focused on it than the life that is happening around us. In the 70s, 80s and even the 90s if you were at an event you didn’t stop the fun to inform the world “Hey I’m enjoying myself!” You were too busy actually enjoying yourself to advertise it. Don’t get me wrong; sharing is good, but fully experiencing all of life’s great moments is even better. Telling the world electronically that you are having a great time with a friend should not be more important than savoring the moment and actually having a great time with a friend. Share, but be there, in that moment, one hundred percent.

May the memory of those 70s and 80s kids remind us all to experience life beyond our technology.