I have a task for you. Write a letter to your past self, describing your present life, and how it has differed from your original plan. Fold it, put it in an envelope and seal it. Do not open it, despite temptation.
Repeat this process, but instead, write a letter to your present self. Who are you now? Do you recognize yourself as an individual? Are you proud of yourself? How different is your life since you dreamed of being an astronaut? Are you in a relationship? Do you have kids? How many dogs? Are you currently working? Do you like your job? What would you change? Do you have habits which have gone unnoticed until you write them down? Writing it down can strengthen your awareness of the positive changes you want to add to your life, or habits and actions which should be dissolved. Write about positive choices which lead to success, and mistakes you have made along the way.
Next, write a letter to your future self, predicting your accomplishments, disappointments, and wishes. Once you have written all three letters, wait two weeks before finally opening them and reading the contents. Start with the past and continue. The point of this exercise is to keep track of where you are in life. It is an evaluation about what you will change or add to your life moving forward. Whether you decide to keep them or dispose of them, these letters may be a glimpse of your life’s footprints and which path to follow.
–SJB
P.S. If reincarnation does exist, I totally want wings in the future.