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TaxEnvironmental1889 t1_iy124t2 wrote

Your future self also says stop trying to delete parts of your personality you think are defects. They’re all assets if you get them pointed in the right direction, and you’re going to need all of them.

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action_lawyer_comics t1_iy1trfk wrote

Yes and no. I did have to delete the part of my personality that thought drinking a pint of whiskey every night was a good way to cope with reality, but I am able to do all the adult things while still loving cartoons and video games.

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PublicThis t1_iy29nb5 wrote

Having watched my dad drink himself into a wheel chair and then to death, I urge you to keep on trying.

I heard somewhere recently that sometimes we can try and fail at something many times but as long as we keep trying, one day it will work.

My dad was very proud and refused help. Wouldn’t even talk about it without blowing up. He was an extremely successful man. Addiction doesn’t care. I think he thought he had much more time. Addiction doesn’t care about that either. It breaks my heart.

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action_lawyer_comics t1_iy2akn0 wrote

Thank you for sharing. I’ve been sober for over 10 years. Looking back, I’m not tempted even a little to backslide. Once I got used to sobriety and found better hobbies than the same books, tv shows and video games I’ve watched a hundred times before, it truly was a positive change with zero downsides.

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PublicThis t1_iy2byil wrote

Oh I’m sorry I think I misread that part of your comment. Congrats! It’s a beast

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didumakethetea t1_iy3wwf1 wrote

Don't be sorry, I'm an addict struggling to find sobriety right now. You did something for me today.

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PublicThis t1_iy3x87s wrote

I’m around to talk if you ever want. I’ve fought the demons too. :)

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LukesRightHandMan t1_iy349rw wrote

Hey dude, congrats! 5 years here myself. Got a question though.

My brother's having a hard fight right now for his own sobriety, and we were just talking last week about him reading the same books over and over again but not in a discussion about sobriety. What was the connection for you?

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ThrowawaySuicide1337 t1_iy28dhl wrote

f u c k

Thank you - I needed to read that. Been struggling with this concept; Identity, my late mom, etc.

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JellyWaffles t1_iy1bf46 wrote

That....that was pretty damn good. Thanks.

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Refill_whore t1_iy1n06q wrote

Also, speaking from experience, you’re hot and you don’t know it.

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[deleted] t1_iy1nlkg wrote

Ngl my present self wants to fuck my past self up pretty badly

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Future-self t1_iy11ks8 wrote

Good news, actually, we win a bunch of money and don’t have to work anymore and the rest kinda sorts itself out 🤙

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CausticSofa t1_iy1jm1w wrote

FFS, who’s chopping onions in here? Geez, I didn’t realize I needed this at all.

Thank you for sharing, good human. Keep fighting the good fight.

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Bama6419 t1_iy1137k wrote

That's an incredible perspective.

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Its_My_Per_Diem t1_iy2jhwp wrote

Honest to god, I first started thanking my future self with the slightest of gratitude whenever I put a new roll of toilet paper on the dispenser before the previous roll would end & I would make myself say out loud “thank you past per diem”. When the roll was out & I couldn’t possibly think of doing one thing that wasn’t vital, I’d think “future per diem would LOVE it if I did this”. As little as a 10 second roll exchange plus things like trying to change my mindset. I had heard a study about how your brain remembers how many times you pick the slowest line in the grocery store & how your emotions amplify the feelings. Most people feel heavy emotions about being behind a slow line & think “why me” while what’s really happening is that you’re just paying soo much attention to it you feel it happens too much. So as a rehab, when you go quickly through stop lights or whiz through the grocery line, really soak that in & feel that. Feel the with and refrain from the without narrative. You feel like you’re always in the slowest lane b/c you only focus on it when you’re in the slow lane feeling negative. If you can’t diffuse the emotion then pump up the opposite emotion. Start taking stock in how often you get a lucky break. Even the slightest. It starts to change you when you’re not looking.

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__Amor_Fati__ t1_iy7yyk4 wrote

Whenever we put the Christmas decorations away in January and we label the boxes, stacking them in the right order, I feel I'm doing me in the future a big favour.

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knockatize t1_iy1d9kt wrote

My future self just sits, drinks, looks at my younger and present selves and says things like “no, no, NO, you DIPSHIT” and “no wonder she dumped you.”

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Oddelbo t1_iy1e9d1 wrote

That doesnt sound like you. Sounds like you've internalised someone else's voice there.

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knockatize t1_iy1fun7 wrote

Nope, that’s how it be. All my future selves are increasingly grouchy. It’s Walter Matthaus all the way down.

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farrenkm t1_iy1a2v7 wrote

Oh my God, thank you. I needed this!!!

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imsmartiswear t1_iy1qdfe wrote

If I ever see a future version of myself on the street, I'm running in the other direction because that dumbass is coming to smack me into submission for the things I've done. I'm acutely aware of that fact because that's precisely what I would do given the opportunity.

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amortizedeeznuts t1_iy1o120 wrote

i must be dead inside because this did nothing for me. as a future self to my old self my future self to my present self will probably be just as bitter, resigned, self loathing, petty, and angry towards me as i am to my old self.

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Notthe0ne t1_iy1tcfn wrote

Get a little older, we get kinder to ourselves I promise.

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amortizedeeznuts t1_iy2b309 wrote

I think we just lose the energy to be angry, which also means losing the energy to do much about becoming the future self you want to be

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Wchijafm t1_iy3ei41 wrote

I disagree. I used to look back at my past and be embarrassed, angry at wasted time/potential, and all around blame for where my life is now. Now I look back with compassion, past me was going thru some rough times with basically zero coping skills and an inability to ask for help. She was doing the best she could with what she had. This shift came about for me when I stopped worrying about blame and started to accept what had happened and immediately look for solutions. When I accepted the past is the past and cannot be changed no matter how many times you relive it inside your head.

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action_lawyer_comics t1_iy1uo9h wrote

Let me ask, are you doing anything now to make your future self proud? I was pretty miserable for a long time too, and it wasn't until I got out of that particular dark chapter and did some good for myself that I was able to be compassionate towards past me. I know it is a bit of a chicken and an egg problem, but if you can start working on your future self, it becomes easier to forgive your past self. At least that's how it worked for me.

Peace, friend

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FizzleKit10 t1_iy1ycjo wrote

My future self is probably dead...

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stiiknafuulia t1_iy2fhml wrote

Somehow I heard Elliott Smith sing this out. Cheered me up way more than this feelgood tip (don't get me wrong; it's useful, but hard to remember when you need it the most).

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jw60888 t1_iy2e1e4 wrote

It is hard but you must forgive yourself and learn to move on. You can’t change the past but you can change the future.

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random_chick t1_iy22bpy wrote

How you feel about your younger/childhood self is the same lense you’ll look through in old age

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Artmander t1_iy1rdvd wrote

I needed to read this thank you.

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hatsuseno t1_iy1rhqr wrote

Easy for you to say, my future self hasn't met me yet.

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cptomgipwndu t1_iy21w0m wrote

As my future self to my past self I honestly have a ton of respect and props. No idea how he made it. How he survived. But I'm glad he did, and he got me here. Thanks past me.

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Sonic_Lightsaber t1_iy21qxl wrote

Thank you. I really did needed that this week.

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Deadlock240 t1_iy29vtq wrote

I feel the exact opposite about my past self, ngl.

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rippfx t1_iy2i7nq wrote

I don't care what the future self thinks. Live now and tackle the present moment. Only current you exist.

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dtyler86 t1_iy2k9ne wrote

I love this and really needed to hear it. But it also has a contrary quote letting people should hear: “do something today that your future self will thank you for”

Today I uncovered a hard drive full of half written songs from college and photos of me and my friends having the time of our lives. I’m 36 now. College me he’s not really to blame but every version of me for the past 14 years and never finished the songs, but never gotten shape like I had wanted to just a few years out of college. 14 years is a lot of time to not accomplish something that would have made me so happy and I’m sad about that.

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VectorVanGoat t1_iy2npjc wrote

I love this. Gives a new outlook.

Current me say’s future me will deal with the task or issue and procrastinates. While future me hates past me because seriously dude, why did you set me up for this?!

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rickraus t1_iy1wvzq wrote

Yoooo lfg. Love baby!!!

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Hxstile_ t1_iy21p0m wrote

My future self constantly ask “Why?” and my present self is trying to prevent as man “Why?” questions as possible. I’m sure I’m gonna ask myself why I was on this platform in the coming years..

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behamut t1_iy23k8t wrote

I'd smack my past selve on the head if I could. I probably wouldn't because it would not help. I needed my experience to grow the way I did.

Still I was a very stubborn and troublesome guy. And I'm reminded of it with my son who is me but to the second power.

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TwistedBlister t1_iy23wvd wrote

Old guy here, I wish I could go back and tell my younger self things that would have made him feel better about himself.

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MIGHTYKIRK1 t1_iy2683p wrote

Wowser insightful. How many of you are in there?

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Manievat t1_iy26ur5 wrote

As my present self to my past self, I didn't really like who I was. But my present self does like me for who I am now

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FabFabiola2021 t1_iy2825t wrote

Thank you for sharing that perspective!

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Majestic_Hare t1_iy29tcv wrote

This is so powerful. I need to remember my future self each day.

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IAMAHobbitAMA t1_iy2ct9p wrote

I dunno, I don't have that many past selves in the grand scheme of things but I'm pretty fucking pissed off at most of them.

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hatsnatcher23 t1_iy2ecfy wrote

Idk I look back at my past self and just wish I could give them a hug

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keraniu t1_iy2mdm7 wrote

i often think back to some years ago, and even though i were a goofy ah child, she was trying and i cant wait until i make future me proud !!

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redmixer1 t1_iy2nsdf wrote

Ugh why am I crying

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iwannabethisguy t1_iy2p9lu wrote

When I die, I'd like to ask the powers that be if my future self could meet my best self. I just wanna see how big the gap is between how it ended vs how it could have been.

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Responsible_Low3349 t1_iy2pwk4 wrote

Thanks Future-Self.

You're more of a bro than I could ever be.

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Tayaradga t1_iy2rmec wrote

Looking at my past self, I'm just happy to be alive.

Looking at my present self, im happy in the same regard.

Looking at my future, I hope to live a long and happy life with my wife.

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droberts7483 t1_iy2tg53 wrote

You can never imagine how much I needed to read this. I thank you, through tears, and pray that some day it will be true and I will forgive.

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uncletori t1_iy2wc1t wrote

insert "mha hart, mah sole" meme here

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Helloweenman t1_iy2ywsw wrote

My current iteration of future self is reprimanding my past self to the highest degree. Bitter over the mistakes they made, opportunities they missed. Perhaps a few more iterations are needed before this post rings true.

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troglodytis t1_iy30ch7 wrote

My future self is dead.

But that's only because I look far far ahead

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SmylEFayse t1_iy34a8e wrote

This is definitely true

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Infjunkie t1_iy369u5 wrote

I am going through quite a rough time in life and this made me tear up. I hope that things get better for me and the countless others going through very tough times

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Somestunned t1_iy378ml wrote

Mind your own damn business, future self.

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Astarte_Lynn t1_iy3a8r0 wrote

Just what I needed. You know I'm saving it <3

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haluuf t1_iy3cuwx wrote

This broke me.

I am no stranger to this notion, I use it as an exercise in self-forgiveness and self-love. But seeing it randomly pop up into my life unexpectedly just broke me.

Things have been way too difficult this year. I wish I had more fun in my daily life. That's a change only I can make happen and I'm working on it. The wish is still there tho.

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Ronstera t1_iy3dfi0 wrote

My future would just be facepalming the whole time.

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crazyaboutcatz t1_iy3edcm wrote

I needed this so much this morning. Thank you for helping me get through another day

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Silbannacus_returned t1_iy3iaft wrote

I'm pretty sure my future self hates my fucking guts, in the same way I hate my past (and present) self's guts.

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ApricotPrincess8 t1_iy3ltur wrote

My older self is kind, my younger self is the hater. That brat.

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ExcitementUnusual331 t1_iy43pap wrote

Old enough to have a past self that I feel that way about already but not the clarity to give present self the break that I need. I like this one.

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Knovacs89 t1_iy476na wrote

Got me.. goddamn it am I on r/GuyCry?

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bigNwobbly t1_iy4j5s1 wrote

I feel like I need to go to therapy

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theasdfguy555 t1_iy4nsa6 wrote

Speaking as a version of myself that could be considered from the future by my past self, I consider my past self a moron and give no compassion to my past.

I have passed up opportunities at a better job, better family relationships, potential romantic relationships, and a better life.

Life tries to hit me with opportunities like a brick dropping on my head and yet I still manage to miss them time and time again and only realize it when it's too late.

I always have been and always will be a moron. It's something I've begun to accept because trying is what never gets me anywhere.

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Bowling4rhinos t1_iy4ptis wrote

Your future self’s advice made my present self cry.

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MetricJester t1_iy4r6i7 wrote

My future self probably hates me just as much as my current self hates my past self. There's no way around it, I am basically a passenger in my body, and I hate my ADHD, my Autism, my depression, my anxiety, my rage, and that I don't have an off switch.

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