Future Self

Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)
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Okay, this is starting to get a lil bit old. I don't think this way. I can't even imagine next week, let alone 5 years down the line. As for advice, while I can think of things that I should advise myself to do, or do differently than I am now, I've always been one of those people who sees themselves as a sum of all the experiences they have in their lives -- good and bad alike. If I were to change those things, I'd be changing who I am. I don't really want to change who I am.

Yes, there are things that would make life easier if I had done them 10 years ago. Yes, there are things that would make life easier in the future if I do them now. But... Would I still be me if I messed with the flow of life that way? Ugh. It all seems so paradoxical.

See, if I'd done things differently 10 years ago, I wouldn't have met M. Or R. Or C. Or J. Or any of the people I've found to be so important to me in my life now. And in 5 years, I'll probably look back on now, and feel the same way. If I'd have done things differently, I wouldn't be that me anymore.

And I don't know if I'd like a me who wasn't this me. I don't think I would, really. As much as I have a hard time accepting and embracing myself the way I am, I do rather like myself. At least, the core parts of "who I am". And it's those core parts that I worry about getting changed with doing things differently.

Even if this isn't the "best" path I'm on, it's MY path, dammit.