Don’t Make Your Future You Hate You
Your Current Decisions Hold More Weight On Your Future Than You Think
I was watching TV, and the craziest commercial came on. It was a commercial by Nerd Wallet, picture this: The year is 2074, and some older men and women are singing about how they're future you. They say things like, “Our life could’ve been really different, but thanks to you it isn’t.” The whole point of the commercial is to warn you to start making smarter financial decisions today, so that you don’t regret them in the future.
After watching this commercial, I was overwhelmed with emotions. The wheels in my brain started spinning. It was so much bigger than financials. The question that kept playing over and over in my mind was, what if future me 40 years from now was sitting right next to me? What would they say about my life's decisions? Would they be retired or still working? Are they healed and walking in their purpose? What is their legacy? All of these questions circled around in my head. What’s even crazier about this commercial, is a couple months ago I was on the plane, and this woman next to me, turned to me, and said “In next 90 days be careful the decisions you make. Some will have a longer affect than you think.” I'm getting chills just writing this, we are truly the decisions that we make. Right now in this present moment, where I am is because of the things I did months and even years ago.
Your decisions today, affect your future, the good and even the bad. Think about it: when you go to the gym and work out, you don’t see the results until weeks or even months in. Me deciding to lay around and watch TV today, might not have immediate results. However, if I do that every day over a period of time, instead of doing work for my job, I could risk losing my job or not reaching my dreams. You might think in the moment, eating a bag full of candy is fine. A month later, you may find yourself with cavities. Have you ever spoken with someone older and they list off all the regrets they have? They say the things they should’ve done, the person they should’ve married, dreams they should’ve followed and things they would’ve done if things were different. I don’t want to be a could’ve, should’ve, would’ve person. I want to die empty!
I went to a funeral a few weeks ago, for my great aunt, and death always reminds me how short life is. Our days here on earth are limited, why waste time not going for the gusto. So many times people, and even myself, have excuses as to why things can’t get done. This is the year to drop all excuses! If it’s something you want to do, why wait to execute it. If you know me, you know, I love daytime talk shows. I started watching them when I was a kid. I religiously watched The Real, every single day. I would record it and watch it as soon as I came home from school. I was devastated when that was cancelled. For the last, year and a half, I’ve been obsessed with The Sherri Shepherd Show. I watch it ever single day, live or on Youtube. When I realized I’d be in New York, for my friends baby shower, I knew I had to try to attend the Sherri Show live. I went to the website, signed up and waited patiently for weeks to hear if I’d been selected. The week of my trip, I received an email saying, “Congratulations, you’ve been selected.” Most people wouldn’t have went, because I didn’t have anybody to go with. I refused to let that stop me. I went to the show and had such an amazing time. It felt good to check something off my bucket list, even if I had to do it alone.
Stop allowing fear, lack of resources, not having somebody to do it with, or any other things, hold you back from doing the things you desperately want to do. This is the year, we’re breaking out the box. What does it mean to die empty? According to Tony Martignetti, “It means fully completing your mission and emptying your tank of all you want to put out into the world. It may seem dark, but it is really powerful. As stoic philosophers would say, memento mori, "remember that you [have to] die," so get living!” You only get one life, so why sit on the sidelines playing it safe? If God put a desire on your heart, the least you can do is try to explore it. You can pivot, change, restart, move, or even change courses no matter how old you are. If I told you, tomorrow was your last day on earth, what would you do? It’s time to start living like that. Please understand, I’m not telling you to live frivolously and not to plan for your future. However, if you don’t take risks, you’ll have a wasted soul.
If I would’ve let fear and self doubt, talk me out of attending the Sherri Show, I wouldn’t have ended up on tv and experiencing something I always wanted to witness. If I would’ve listened to fear, I would’ve never moved. If I would’ve listened to other people, I wouldn’t have quit working in retail and wouldn’t have the free schedule I have. This is the time to have discernment when it comes to decisions. Those words from that lady on the plane unlocked something new in me, where I started living more intentional and mindful. This is my wake up call for you!
