It is the New Year of 2019 and I have been living in Sweden for just over two years. There has been a sensation, whilst living here, of having many new and strange ingredients thrown at me. Not only did I not know how to use them, I could not even pronounce their names. Now however, I feel the time of gathering and understanding is transforming into a time of creating. I am fluent enough in the language to get by and more importantly, understand more of the concepts that underpin the cultural narrative and norms that play out here. Finally I am starting to feel a sense of place.
Based on this, I have decided that this is the year of focused 'doing' and calling into creation that which I wish to happen. In order to make this more tangible I sat down yesterday and wrote a letter to my future self to be read at the end of 2019.
I decided to undertake this exercise, as I had come across an article about effecting personal change (more focused on health and weight in fact.) It stated that we need to have an image of ourselves in the future and we need to care about that person, the person we will become. This concept really impacted with me. I have never really had a 1 year, 5 year,10 year plan for my life, never really thought of the future me, (except in relation to being a version of the incredible Alida Gersie who I truly admire.) So this idea of taking care of this 'me' of the future hit me really strongly. What will my health be like? What will I be doing? What will I be hearing, seeing, tasting? Will I be happy and content? Of course, what I do now creates my future, I create my future story in my present life, so I thought it would be good to sit and write, retrospectively, to myself on what I am going to create and do this year.
It was a very interesting exercise and I would suggest we all try it. It is essentially an exercise in focusing your vision, story, desires into a firmer path of intent. It is totally an exercise in story and I believe it should be carried out within organisations as well as with individuals.
So what did I write? I wrote that it was a hard and demanding year because I had so much to do but it was also a deeply rewarding year as I had achieved so much. I had written the book, finished developing the N4C course and started to deliver it using digital technology plus a residential where all the participants came and worked together. I had driven throughout Sweden, developed my language and also created a new performance piece. These events are not done yet but they inhabit a stronger place within me just from the focus I am giving them, just from the fact that I am sharing them with you now. Words are powerful magic, they form us into many shapes, be sure you choose the ones you want and need to form you into the self you wish to become.