Imagine this: you’re handed two golden tickets. One takes you 20 years into the past. The other, 20 years into the future. You can only use each once. No do-overs. No rewinds. Just one shot to speak truth into your younger self and one chance to listen to the wisdom of your older self.
Back to the Past: A Conversation with the Younger Me
If I could sit across from the 2005 version of myself, I wouldn’t start with warnings. I’d start with belief.
“You’re stronger than you know. The world will try to define you by your setbacks, but your grit will be your signature. Don’t shy away from the hard things in life, embrace them.”
I’d tell him to lean into faith earlier. To trust that the detours, career pivots, personal struggles, moments of doubt, are all part of the blueprint God laid out. I’d urge him to take care of his body like it’s the only one he’ll ever get (because it is). I’d challenge him to speak up more, love deeper, and take risks that align with purpose, not ego.
Would he listen? Maybe. Maybe not. But I’d give him one hour. One powerful hour to write down everything I’ve learned. Every scar that became a story. Every failure that became fuel.
Challenge to You: Take one hour today. Write a letter to your 20-year-younger self. What would you say to change the course of your life? What regrets would you rewrite? What truths would you shout louder?
Fast Forward: A Glimpse of the Future Me
Now flip the script. It’s 2045. I’m sitting across from the older version of myself. He’s got silver in his beard (well, more than I do today), wisdom in his eyes, and peace in his posture. He’s lived through the storms I’m still preparing for.
He tells me:
“You did well. You stayed true. You built something that outlived your name.”
He reminds me that the goals I set in 2025 weren’t just about business or my career or livelihood, they were about impact. He shows me how the Grit Passion Mindset ethos became a movement, not just a message. He tells me my daughters grew up watching a man who didn’t just talk about resilience, he lived it.
He also nudges me: “You could’ve rested more. You didn’t have to carry everything alone. Let people in.”
And maybe he hands me a new challenge: “Keep raising the bar. Don’t settle into comfort. Keep recreating yourself into someone you’d want to learn from.”
Reflection for You: What do you hope your future self says about you? Write it down. Visualize it. Then reverse-engineer your life to make it true.
The Power of Both Perspectives
Here’s the truth: the wisdom from your future self is just as powerful as the advice you’d give your younger self. One is a mirror of grace. The other, a compass of growth.
So take advantage of every moment. Live with a growth mindset. Recreate yourself again and again, not because you’re broken, but because you’re evolving.
Raise the bar. Then raise it again.
And when you reflect on your journey, remember what God has allowed you to accomplish. The lessons, the losses, the wins, they’re all part of the testimony.
Final Thought: Time travel may be fiction, but reflection is real. And it’s available every day. Use it. Write. Dream. Build. Become.
You’ve got two tickets. Use them wisely.