Friday, July 6, 2012

What would I say to myself in 20 years time?

I came across this awesome video today and really got me thinking.  If I was 20 years younger, what would I have recorded then to say to myself.  Well, that's the past and nothing can bring that back.  But if I get to do it now, what would I say to myself 20 years later?

Here, watch the video first:



20 years ago, actor and filmmaker Jeremiah McDonald used a video camera to send a message to his future self. This year McDonald — now 32-years-old — took that message and created this awesome video of himself as an adult talking himself as a child (source: Petapixel.com)


To be honest, I'm pretty sure I'd turn awkward the minute I hit the record button.  I'd be dumbfounded and tongue-tied, getting all shy.  Yup, getting 'all shy' with myself.  I'd probably have more questions for my future self than answers really.  Because I'd like to know if I'm still alive (duh~), if I'm still doing what I'm doing (or less, or more), if I'm loving a wonderful person (or he's loving the wonderful me back), if I'm still anal in things which I shouldn't be anal about (or I simply cbf anymore), if I have a lot of kids that will drive me up the wall (or none at all), if I'm a millionaire (bank rich but health poor), if I'm gonna be spiritually rich living on top of some mountain (but bank poor)... you get my point.  The future is really intriguing isn't it?

But if I were to project myself 20 years forward and answer my own questions now, I realised that I only have one simple answer for all the complicated questions, which is, "I am who I am now because you've already decided for me 20 years ago".

"I'm alive now because you took care of yourself and had a strong will to live"
"I'm successful now (in our own terms) because you never gave up your passion to create ideas that would change the world"
"I'm loving and being loved by a wonderful person now because you decided that that one person will be the most precious person to you forever"
"I'm anal in things which you were anal about because it's ingrained in us but it doesn't bother me as much now because you've learned to be able to let go"
"I have a lot of grand kids now because you decided to have a lot of kids"
"I'm both bank and spiritual rich because you've made a strong effort in taking balance in life"
"You get my point too right?"

The video that you just watched, isn't just a video with a neat idea, a 'oh-wow-why-didn't-I-think-of-that' idea. It's a video that shows us who we are now was decided by who we were 20 years ago.  And if we are enlightened by that very simple idea, who we will be in the future is now decided by who we are now.  As little Jeremiah showed us; a film director (the easy way out) or an animator (true passion)?  20 years is a long way.  And I realised that, we don't need to get all intrigued with a 'mysterious' future anymore.  Because we're writing our future every single day.

A simple Facebook post today really put me back into perspective :)

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