CassieA couple weeks ago, I came across an exercise online that someone had shared had really shifted their thinking.
The person relented that they wanted to know what their 10-year-old self, AND their self IN 10 years, would think of the way their present self was living.
For me, that means: what would 10-year-old Cassie think of 21-year-old Cassie?
What do I WANT 31-year-old Cassie to think of and remember about 21-year-old Cassie?
Thinking about these things has absolutely been mind-shifting, and I would encourage you to do the same.
First: 10-year-old Cassie.
She loved Harry Potter and all things fiction, drama, and faith-related. She had grown a deepening interest in and relationship with God, and had transitioned from dreaming of being a child actress to feeling a calling to church ministry.
She had not yet developed any negative or disordered relationship with food, knowing nothing about it but that she enjoyed it. She didn’t think about or plan food between meals, but ate what was in front of her, though was quite picky.
She didn’t have any care in the world for social media platforms, her physical image, or the way others perceived her. In fact, I specifically remember 8-year-old Cassie standing on her chair during lunch, proclaiming to her class that she has a crush on a boy named Jin because “looks don’t matter.”
31-year-old Cassie. What do I hope she is like?
I hope that she is as far away from disordered eating as one could be.
I pray that she has more love in her heart, and spends less time in front of screens.
I hope that she is consumed with love for her husband, and their children. I hope that she feels confident in her job, and that she prioritizes actively helping others.
I hope that prayer is deeply intertwined with how she lives her life. I hope that she is more well-versed in theology, the Bible, and has read The Lord of the Rings.
I hope that she is a better chef, and has established fun and quirky traditions with her family.
I hope that she is in touch with, and frequently sees, all her beautiful, unmatchable friends; her incredible parents; her sisters, in-laws, and extended family.
I hope that she didn’t waste time taking things too seriously, or worrying that she was “behind” in life. I hope she didn’t waste time worrying about spending money on a dinner or two out with friends.
….
Alllllll right, 21-year-old Cass. Where are we at?
Naturally….. the things I mentioned 10-year-old Cassie lacking– and the things I HOPE 31-year-old Cassie lacks– are some of the things I am convicted that 21-year-old Cassie deals with.
So, instead of consuming myself with worries about money and my job, I’m going to think more about my loved ones and my community.
Instead of spending free time on my phone, I want to stop the scroll for a moment of conversation with my God.
Instead of allowing old disordered habits to sneak into my mind, I want to relinquish every thought to Jesus, and build deep roots in His Word, and in His Truth about those thoughts.
Okay, Friend. It’s your turn.
What does 10-year-old you think of you now?
What do you hope you IN 10 years looks back on about you now?
