#trust30 - Day 8

I'll be caught up in a few minutes. Here's today's prompt:

Five Years by Corbett Barr

There will be an agreement in whatever variety of actions, so they be each honest and natural in their hour. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What would you say to the person you were five years ago? What will you say to the person you’ll be in five years?

(Author: Corbett Barr)
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What do I say to the man I was five years ago? Boy--what can I say that I would hear? I'd be sure to internalize anything negative and ignore anything positive. Maybe I can try a soft sell:

Lighten up, friend. You're 34. The Army wasn't for you--so what? You've got a whole lifetime to figure out what you want to be when you grow up. Cut yourself a little slack.

You're not a failure. You haven't even really failed. You've just figured out something you weren't really cut out to do. The Army's important, but it's not the only place you can make a difference. Time to figure out what's next.

Give the kids a break while you're at it. They'll grow up soon enough; it doesn't have to be today. You'd miss them. Trust me on this one.

And while you're handing out breaks, give your wife one, too. She had just as hard a year as you did. Sure, she's wrong to stay mad so long--but are you making it any better by staying mad back?

So what about that dream? Maybe it's time to start figuring out what it's going to take to make that work. What do you think? Ready to go for it?


Five years from now is a little harder. What do I say to me if I've realized my dream? What if I'm still busting my tail and accomplishing nothing and ready to give up? I'm not going to plan for the second possibility, so I'll talk to successful me:

Congratulations, friend. How's it feel to live your dream? Those four books have been great successes--you've earned a moment to feel proud of yourself.

OK. Moment's over. Remember the other stuff you wanted? How's your marriage? The kids? Is it time to take advantage of your success and pay attention to the more important stuff? When's the last time you gave your time to something that wasn't going to make you any money? Don't forget the reason you started this whole writing thing. You wanted to make a difference, remember?

It's easy to get complacent when you've got what you want. But don't forget how it felt to chase something worthwhile, to spend late nights working on your dream and get up early to provide for your family. Exhausting? You bet. And worth every minute of it.

It's okay to be content. It's not okay to be complacent. Don't get lazy.

HN