“The place to be happy is here. The time to be happy is now.” ~Robert G. Ingersoll
Dear Past Me,
Remember that day when you thought all was lost? When you thought there was barely any point in carrying on?
The bank account was dangerously low.
You were arguing with everyone close to you.
The roof was leaking.
It felt like everything was a struggle and the so-called abundance of the Universe was nowhere to be seen.
You were going over the mistakes you’d made.
The money you had lost.
The opportunities you had missed.
You were going over angry conversations and thinking about how right you were and how wrong they were.
You were searching for forgiveness but holding onto the unfairness of it all.
Remember how low you felt?
You actually spent more time than you care to admit wishing you didn’t exist.
You thought at least that way, nobody would miss you and you wouldn’t cause them any pain if you had never existed.
Dude.
Seriously?
You do realize now that you wasted a bit of time with that ridiculousness, right?
You wished for a lightning bolt of awareness to hit you in the head.
You were hoping for a finely tuned droplet of self-aware genius to magically transform your heart.
The Universe provided because in the next few moments, you read this:
The average person lives to be 76 years of age, which is approximately 28,000 days.
28,000 days.
That’s when it hit you.
Every day is truly precious.
Months seemed to come and go.
Years flew by.
But days. Days were made up of habits.
You woke up to your own habits at that point.
How much time had you wasted drifting into jealousy?
How many hours had been lost sinking with regret or crying over disappointment?
If you added up the hours you’d filled with worry, regret, anger, sorrow, and guilt, how many days would it equal?
It was terrifying to even consider.
You shifted.
You found three ways to live in each day that have changed you forever.
1. You are not your feelings.
When anger or hurt hits your heart like a ton of bricks on a hot summer day, it can feel like it consumes you.
The more you resist, the more you fight it, the bigger it gets.
Allow the pain to be there. Talk to it. Realize that you are the witness that is doing the talking.
2. Meditation.
It seems like everyone talks about meditating.
Once you made it a non-negotiable part of your life, everything else shifted for you.
Think of it like brushing your teeth or taking a shower.
You can sit quietly anywhere. In your car. At your desk. Just close your eyes and breathe.
It will help you to be in the day.
3. Forgiveness.
As much as you’re struggling with your own crapola, everyone else is going through his or her own lessons as well.
As soon as you leaned into forgiveness, you felt better.
You stopped resisting.
Forgiveness gives you flow.
And when you flow, BOOM—you’re in the present moment again.
I want you to wake up to what you have right now!
I want you to know that no matter what, today is beautiful.
It doesn’t matter if it’s pouring rain, pounding snow, or penetrating sunshine.
Weather is neither good nor bad. It just is.
Today is what you make it, and I want you know that here and now, in this future moment that I’m writing you from, love is the only thing that lasts.
Whether your current moment is filled with sorrow or bursting with joy, this too shall pass.
Find ways to make today into a beautiful painting of kindness toward yourself and toward others, and you will reach the end of your 28,000 days with a knowingness that you lived well.
What day is it today?
It’s the best day ever.
Love,
Future Me
About Share Ross
Best known as the bassist in platinum-selling all-female 80's rock band Vixen, Share Ross has played dates all over the globe with Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, Bon Jovi, Deep Purple, The Scorpions and more. Rocker. Adventurer. Artist. Author. Optimist. Inspirer. Part-time raw foodist. If you’d like to know exactly what day you’re living right now, click here.
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. 
Where do I start with this? Share, you touched my heart – this is exactly what I needed to read today. So much love to you, lady. <3 xoxo.
This was beautiful. I can resonate with some of those things definitely– especially being so young. It’s difficult to come to certain realizations and a couple of years ago I would have read this and been like “uh huh, right”
… But now I have come to a completely different mindset. It just comes to show nothing ever stays the same and I love that. I embrace that. Thank you for this
Incredibly inspirational. So much depth & weight to this. “The more you resist, the more you fight it, the bigger it gets…” really resonated with me.
It’s all about acceptance. In every possible realm. Within. Outward. etc.
Loved it. & I’m sure the Share of yesteryear would have as well.
Oh I know what you mean Mariel. We keep evolving and shifting. Glad this gave you some moments that clicked.
Hooray for a new mindset and are embracing the constant changes! Hooray for today.
Thank you Aung. Yes, indeed. My yesteryear ‘me’ would have loved this. Resistance is so powerful and yet… when we allow it… it loses its power.
Rock on my friend.
Honored to have touched your heart Nikki! Glad this is what you needed and hope you have the best ‘today’. xoxo
Thank you so much for this. I am in a broken place in my life right now, and do wonder at times if I should exist. But, as is the miracle of this site, just as I am thinking it, I get my daily e-mail and universal message it is supposed to send. Thank you for being the messenger today!
Thank you so much for this amazing post. I totally agree with you. We should stop complaining and blaming. We have to live the moment. We should not wait for happiness to come. We create it.
love this – so very very true and very timely for me. Always love what you have to say.
Share,
First off, great article. I really enjoyed it, and I happily take the points to heart.
I’m struggling a bit with forgiveness lately. I’m pretty excellent at forgiving others, but I have a friend who isn’t forgiving me. Their withholding talking about an issue between us, and I’ve done a lot to facilitate talking. I gave them forgiveness and apologized for my mistakes after I owned up to them. It’s not reciprocated though, and it’s eating at me. I get anxiety when I’m not good with a friend. My sleep, appetite, and well being suffer.
I’m trying to figure out if I just let go and move on. Keep being emotionally vulnerable and honest about it. Or if I should walk away entirely.
Do you have any perspective? I’ve been wrestling with some of these emotions on my blog, but it’s not 100% solved.
At the end of the day it’ll be a choice I make, but I’d love an opinion.
Thanks Share- The reminder that I am not my feelings is just what I needed and I am going to stop what I am doing right now and meditate. No more excuses.
Loved the way you wrote this post, really sucked me in as a wake up call from a future self. 🙂 Inspiring message, thank you for sharing!!!
Love is the only thing that lasts? Had love…. didn’t last.
Almost had me ’till ya wrote that.
This was a great article! But, I think it’s okay to feel like that. Sometimes you have to go through things, big things, and they change your whole entire life. You overcome the negativity, and come back stronger, better than ever. That’s life an emotional roller coaster. Tomorrow isn’t promised for anyone, make the best of today. No reason to look back, we can’t change it. Don’t worry too much about the future, it hasn’t even occurred yet. All you can do is be in the now, in peace. Do you best and do it with your whole heart. Whatever energy you are releasing in the universe is the energy that will come back to you. Live, let live. Spread love and compassion! <3
Hey, stop worrying! You did your part. Now, it’s up to your friend. You have to realize you both think differently, have two different perspectives. The only person you can control is yourself. Let it be. They will come around on there own time. You sound like a great person, the fact that you care. But, you can’t let it get the best of you. If your friendship is solid, this too shall pass. Hopefully, I helped. Keep your head up and be the best person you can be. That’s all you can do!
I don’t think she necessarily means love with/for another person. It’s more the love you have for yourself, and for life in general. That’s the true, lasting kind of love. 🙂
This came at the exact moment I needed to read those words. Thank you!
Awesome post. Though not liking the average number of days a person lives! I believe that if we all start ‘truly’ living the average number of days will only become more and then some.
Can’t be. If those types were what last, I’d have them now. I don’t have either. Last means forever – in my mind – and (if the hype can be believed) I apparently did love myself as a child (must have been so young it was before conscious memory though) and if it lasts, well, it would have lasted.
“It does last, you’ve just forgotten,” I can already hear you saying in protest.
Perhaps, but you can’t prove that, and I can’t remember it.
Thanks “Future Me” for your letter reminding me to “flow every moment.” Hearing from “Me In The Future” reassures me that all is well.
Thanks Share Ross for writing this.
Thanks Peace. You’re right, but I tend to get in an obsessive loop with this person’s opinion of me. I know I have to break free of it. I’m trying, but I think I need to stop trying and just start doing.
Cheers
Glad you liked it Lester. Thanks for reading it!
I hear ya Malissa! That’s what I found so sobering when I found out that number. Yikes! Makes me appreciate the now so much more.
I hope you have a long and happy life!!! With many many days. 🙂
Love it when that happens Heido.
You’re most welcome!
Right on Peace Within!!!
I see some others have jumped in here. Indeed, when I refer to ‘love’ I do reference self love and loving life.
A relationship is often something we seek to ‘fill the void’ rather than being okay by ourselves. But believe me….. I know what you’re saying. In regards to past loves… the biggest (and most challenging) part is always forgiveness. But if you can work on that step… it goes a long long way towards moving out of hype and into peacefulness.
Thanks for reading and commenting gsfraser.
That’s cool lv2terp! Thank you for commenting and rock on!
How cool are you??? Love that Michelle.
Hey Michael,
You’re a very sensitive soul and I relate to what you’re saying. Yes, there’s a couple of things you can do.
1. Hold your friend in light and make up a forgiveness affirmation where they forgive you. (in present tense.) Like… “name” forgives me completely. They release my heart. “Name” wishes only the best for me. “Name” is free and I’m free too. I am forgiven.
Do an affirmation a few times a day and definitely when you wake up at night thinking about it.
2. Take a gentle and loving look at your need for their approval. And dude.. I totally get this part. Let it go that they have their own story to work through.
Peace be with you and rock on!
awwww. Thank you Sarah!!!
Right on Hamza! Thank you for reading and commenting.
Wow. Yes, please know that you are loved, loving and lovable. In fact, you are a gift to the universe.
Honored to be your messenger. Sending you love.
OMG! I used to have your tape (yes, tape! ha) I won it in a contest and was super excited because I was such a fan! I just had to tell you that story. I love this article. It’s just to the point and I completely related. I actually shared it with some other people who I feel need to read it:-) I’m totally loving the fact that a Vixen girl wrote this!!!
How cool is that Michelle?! (And do you know we’re out there playing gigs again? Look us up on Facebook.)
Rock on for sharing it and thanks for connecting!
I really like the approach you used. It’s inspiring for someone still struggling to see there’s light at the end of the tunnel if they undertake the journey you lay out. Maybe someone struggling today could write a letter to her future self, promising to do some of these things? Kind of like a promise to yourself to take responsibility for your happiness.
Thank you for sharing, this is what i exactly need now.
Wow. Simply brilliant!
Love that Jagoda. What a great idea!
Happy to hear it connected when you needed it.
Thank you brilliant Claire!
“This too shall pass” is such a simple but powerful affirmation that I use consistently to help me push through the tough times. Often times the kindest and most compassionate person among us can be the most cruel when it comes to ourselves; we don’t seem to know how to cut ourselves some slack. But you have discovered an important tool the rest of us can learn from. When we are beating ourselves up, a letter from our more patient, loving self in the future, is the kindest gift we can give ourselves.
I’m honored that you are honored, and I am gratefully accepting all the love anyone is willing to send!
I’ll point you to my reply to jmlou67: self-love doesn’t last, either.
Forgiveness is out of the question, and so I am – apparently – doomed.
Thanks God.
Hey Share, great post, I like to think of my future self as a bit of a badass though. When making decisions in the present I often try to ask ‘would my future self thank me for this decision’. That simple question (sometimes) helps to stop me making decisions based on instant gratification which I may later regret.
this was AMAZING!!!! I’ve read it to myself everyday for a week.
thank you : )
Wonderful insights and a passionate plea to live your life and be thankful for today. Great post Share!
This post is pure perfection and completely on time for me. Thanks you!!
Simply the truth and what one should know.
thank you very much for this letter, has opened my eyes and given me a new meaning to my life…thank you!!!…