Thought experiment: what would your 80 year old self tell you?

[Hero in progress]

Think about this for a minute... Just for 60 seconds if you will, you never know what you might come up with. 

If I handed you a special phone that would let you have a 5 minute conversation with the future you, say you when your old & wrinkled. What advice would they give you.

What would the 80 year old you say? 

 

Comment below what the older & wiser version of you tells you over the phone if you like, it would be interesting to see peoples answers.

Peace

 

[outlandish]

I love this thought experiment. Will come back and report after I've had the chat.

[VioletFlame]

@Hero in progress One of my favorites! This archetype for me is what I like to call one's inner elder. Hehe

This practice of putting yourself in the shoes of an elder's, tapping into age empathy, and placing yourself in their experience, seeing from the perspective of looking back upon the time line of your life during your last days or sudden final moments in time, and imagining how you will feel or how you will respond at this time can do wonders on one's overall existential wisdom and intuitive grasp and guidance on life.

This also deals with a recognition of consequences and eventual possibilities, so therefore acknowledging and becoming aware of them before they even happen, looking through the lens of karma perhaps, therefore becoming aware of the actions we take and being as loving and grateful towards life as we can everyday before we get to that final and ultimate stage of introspection and inescapable force of self-contemplation (if we don't have dementia) where we are drawing conclusions, where lights above our heads flick off (seventh chakra), and are confronting heavy realizations, questioning if whether or not we thoroughly lived the kind of fulfilling life we always truly wanted to live from deep within.

This is why it's best to assemble an elderly and even deathbed perspective soon in life, befriend your inner elder like you would your inner child, don't treat them like distant strangers, prepare yourself ahead of time and nip it in the bud a bit. Before that time reveals itself to you, accept it in its entirety out of pure love and perhaps even excitement, before you have no other choice in that time but to accept it out of fear or dread.

Deep within the sea, beyond the mundane seat of vision, beyond one glimpse of the surface, lies everything we seek, yet we bide our time in seeing that everything we see, we should also seize. Seize, the entire sea, and then see. Be the eye of the oceanic unseen, be the ghost.

When I was young I would often spontaneously envision myself as an old lady in the future, describing that current era of my life to someone, or looking back at pages of journals or diaries I saved from years ago, and reminiscing from a futuristic perspective. This always deeply fascinated me. Wonderful post.

Edited January 4, 2019 by VioletFlame

[ivory]

Play as much as possible and take care of your health.

[Sahil Pandit]

Die before you die.

[Angelite]

Create wonders while you're still young. Live life!

Run! Skate & explore! Live the adventure while you're still able!

Learn as much as possible while you're still young. (Because as you get older, your memory wouldn't be as good as when you're younger, it's harder to learn something new,comparatively)

Appreciate those around you, especially when there are still many who are older than you. Because as you get older, the number of people whom you can look up to will be decreasing. And you will slowly.....become the elderly instead. Many of your loved ones will die and new generation will look up to you instead. Until finally...it will be only you who are the oldest. Now that I think about it, they must feel a bit lonely(the elderly). I might be wrong though..

 

 

But this is not valid though, it is still from the perspective of the 22y.o me~ It can still be limiting~ 

*my grandma always told me to do things that older people are not able to do physically...just sayin~  I will soon be in their shoes so I will appreciate those advice~

 

Lastly, always be grateful for the now❤

Be mindful of your responsibility in the now. Whatever stage you are in life.....

Edited January 4, 2019 by Angelite

[Gabriel Antonio]

Human bonds is the key. 

[Ampresus]

Prepare to emerge with the universe before I do

[Nahm]

Have fun, it’s all a big joke. 

[ivankiss]

"The joke is on you. Love your every single move. Laugh. Create. Feel. Breathe deeply. You are yet to take off."

[Hello from Russia]

Love and Love-being is way more important and profound than petty egoic desires

[Igor82]

Never give up on your deepest intentions

[SgtPepper]

I feel like id tell myself to keep doing what I am doing. Appreciate my relationships and to not worry so much, life too short to worry.

[Angelite]

8 hours ago, Nahm said:

Have fun, it’s all a big joke. 

Why? Because this world is just temporary?....

Oh yeah! So I won't be a grandma forever~~

[pluto]

If you love someone, let them sleep.

[vsevolod]

You already know everything, be patient, take every of moment as it is and be more conscious about the world around you.

[ajasatya]

On 03/01/2019 at 5:09 PM, Hero in progress said:

what would your 80 year old self tell you?

"good job! keep it up!"

[VictorB02]

"Every moment will be worth it, no matter what you feel now.

In the end, you will realize it was all a perfectly executed play"

[okulele]

It's ok to be an ordinary guy.

[Leon_Mao]

Less planning more doing.