Friday Wellness Tip: Write A Letter To Your Future Self

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Friday Wellness Tip: Write A Letter To Your Future Self. Write Now. Read Later. Treasure Forever. A Paper Time Capsule.

Spanista adores the written word in a letter. The beauty of each cursive letter forms a word and each word forms a sentence that expresses someones heartfelt thoughts. I am saddened to think this artful form of expression might be lost in third digital age. That is why I advocate it power for deepening relationships. Of course that also means the relationship with your self.

When shopping on The Plaza in Kansas City, the legendary outdoor lifestyle modeled after the architecturally ornate cities of Spain with its many water fountains and lush gardens, I came upon a charming boutique where I found this little inspiration. It is a little kit to encourage you to write a letter to yourself. How grand! Absolutely an idea after Spansita’s own heart. This idea is a true act of self care indeed. I became curious about the back story on it so I searched online to find more about the creator. I discovered a guide called A Letter To My Self created by Leo A. Notenboom in 2004.

He offers these guidelines in his words quoting Mr. Notenboom:

“Is the concept even right for you? Think about the experiences you’ve had and seen. Do you have life lessons that you are afraid of losing by the time you might need them? Is there a family history of, to put it bluntly, stubbornness? Would you listen to such a letter? In my opinion the risks of writing a letter to yourself are very small, and the potential benefit to yourself and to the people around you, is very large.” “Customize the Letter. Write your own, but make sure it’s meaningful to you. Or rather, try to make sure that it will be meaningful to your future self. In my case, drawing on my parents story is likely to remain an issue I can drawn on as I age. Perhaps it’ll be something else for you. I believe that your future self is more likely to accept a personal message.” “Keep the language simple, and the message short. As scary as it is to contemplate, you may not have the cognitive ability that you do now.” “Print it and Sign it. The letter should be on paper, and you should sign and date it yourself. Besides the risks of various technologies changing by the time the letter is needed, a real signature is likely to be another reminder to your future self of the process that lead you to write the letter, and of it’s authenticity.”

A Letter To Myself is Copyright © 2004 by Leo A. Notenboom.

Friday Wellness Tip: Write A Letter To Your Future Self is suggested for its therapeutic value. Its the opportunity to cultivate self awareness. The process can encourage capturing important feeling or thoughts. A chance to frame up a memory or project the type of future you hope unfolds. Perhaps you can steal some time this weekend to give this a go.

Spanista believes nothing feels like hand writing your thoughts to commit them to paper. You do not need a kit. Just find some lovely stationery and use a fancy pen. Head to a quite corner in your favorite coffee shop. Remember you are worth it. Even add a dash of your favorite fragrance if you feel moved to do so. The key: Commit it to paper and let it go!  Then send it to yourself and tuck it safely away with a note on a day in the future you want to remind yourself to open it.  Have fun and enjoy this exercise in the spirit of your personal wellness. One day you will be so glad you did.

If you do this let me know how it, ok?

To Your Self Care Journey To Joy,

Ginny