The Best Birthday Present

For my birthday last year, a number of my closest friends from college and I went to see the film "Les Miserables", which I had not yet seen at that time. I thought the film itself was incredible, but part of what made that experience so memorable as a birthday present was just being able to have all of my closest friends around me and realize how much we all cared about each other mutually, and as I drank in all of the feelings of that moment, I realized the best birthday presents that I have received (and continue to receive) are experiences rather than objects, such as the one above.

That being said, there is one birthday present that I get every year that is partially an object, but very much of an experience. This present is actually one that I give to myself. In the article that I posted on Facebook a few days ago, it discusses the story of a twelve-year-old girl who had written a letter to herself, and it actually went viral when her parents posted it on Facebook when opening it after she unexpectedly passed away. I find this concept is brilliantly illustrated in the movie below from SoulPancake. For those who have not heard of SoulPancake, to put it briefly, it is an organization decided to helping people, "Be more awesome!"

Now, as much as I'd like to, there's not really a way that I can send letters from my current self back to the past (unless SoulPancake has some groundbreaking science secrets to tell us). However, I can write letters to myself in the future - and I do. Going on about three years now, it's become a birthday tradition for me to take some time on or around my birthday (and if nothing else, at least the month of January) to read the letter that I wrote to myself the year prior, and then sit down and write a letter to my future self. 

This has actually become a very beautiful personal, motivational, inspirational, and even spiritual experience, both in reading my past letters and writing future letters. I usually try to keep my letters to one to two pages, and it's interesting how much thought I end up putting into making sure that I convey the most important information to myself about what has happened over the past year and what advice my "future me" will need at his point in life. It becomes a reflection of the most important parts of the past year, as well as look forward into what advice or support I may need in the coming year(s), and in that sense, it becomes not only an object, but an experience as well - an experience of remembering everything I have, everything I've done, and everything I am.

Below I've included some of the gems that I've gotten from reading the letters from some of my "past selves", which, although they haven't necessarily been extremely profound in the entirety of the world's sphere, I've found they've somehow been just what I need when I open and read them. The dates that I've written next to the comments are the year in which the letter was written and the year that I would have first opened it, respectively.

(2011-2012)

• "I know that I can be whatever I tell myself I am - whether it be positive or negative."
• "I learned...that you don't have to be perfect to love or be loved by someone...that to be a teacher is to learn..."
• "...don't forget about your family, leaders, and friends who are there to help you - talk with them!"
• "Most important of all, remember I love you!"

(2012-2013)

• "...your true friends are those who love you for who you are...don't let them get away."
• "Rejoice in yourself - you may be very different...but...your difference is a good difference..."
• "Don't back down - when things get harder, that's even more of a sign that you have to step it up - and you can - and you will."
• "You have tremendous inner strength - more than you know..."
• "Michael, I love you."

(2013-2014)

• " Is today the best day of your life?"
• "Just stay with me."
• "...realize that you are not 'the only one'..."
• "Do you realize the power of your example?"
• "This isn't a prize to be won, it's a race to be run..."
• "Today is a great day - and tomorrow will only be better."
• "I love you."

There is one thing that always seems to be included in my letters, and I feel like it was included in all the letters people wrote to themselves in the video above. "I love you." In the long run, I have a really hard time loving myself, and generally, tend to just tolerate myself from day to day. Whether it's the world that tells us these messages or something inside of ourselves, I think all of us have a hard time really loving ourselves, to some extent. And that's something that we need to remind ourselves of more often. Part of what makes me really love these letters is that they remind me (both intellectually and emotionally) that I do love myself, and that's the best birthday present I could ever get.

So what will you do to remind "future you" to love himself/herself? I hope you think about that, because it's important, and if you'd like, feel free to comment below. I'd love to hear it!