What I would tell 10 years ago me

Maybe you, like me, saw the #10yearchallenge going around Facebook and Instagram a few weeks ago. I was busy at the time and didn’t participate, but I got to thinking about 10 years ago me and how much life has changed. I thought about what I would tell the 29-year-old me. 

Dear 29 year old me,

You don’t know it yet but, that step you took back in September? The big leap of quitting your toxic job? Well, it’s going to send you on a journey you could never imagine. You’re about to spend the next 10 years doing things you said you’d never do, like…

Grad school? You went. You now have a Master of SCIENCE in Higher Education & Student Affairs. 

Leave California? Ha ha! Jokes on you! You left the state twice. Once for grad school at Baylor in WACO of all places and now permanently to Arizona where you just bought a home.You miss California but that California doesn’t exist anymore. 

Okay, the craziest one? Remember how in 2008 you were advised to get on YouTube but thought it would ruin your career in television not to mention be social life suicide? Well you now have almost 100,000 subs and millions of people have watched your videos because you quit caring what people would think and you hit record. 

I know right now life feels weird. After spending all of your 20’s doing the “right” things-having the full time job with benefits, a company credit card, and oh yeah, being on an Emmy -nominated TV show, you are about to turn 30 unemployed. But instead of it completely rattling you, you are going to start figuring out what’s next. 

And if there’s a theme for the next 10 years it’s exploration. You’re going to follow your interests including things you never knew existed before and start following those down a path you can’t see right now. You will learn about digital marketing, paid speaking, online courses, and little by little end up with your own business (and personal brand- another thing I know you’re sort of against). 

Just like how TV hosting classes at 26 opened you up to a whole new world of relationships, this will too. You’re going to be one of those people with “internet friends”-great friendships with people you talk to 90% online and 10% at conferences, and it’s totally normal. You’re about to meet some very cool people. 

The 10 years ahead will not be all sunshine and rainbows (spoiler-grad school will be HARD and then this thing called Covid will derail all of 2020) but it will definitely be an unexpected adventure you never planned and God will be guiding you through all of it. 

So here’s what I want you to know….

I’m proud of you. You’re about to do things people in your life would never expect you to do. Heck, you wouldn’t even expect you to do. But little by little you risked and tried and took some chances and most paid off. I’m excited you grew and changed and brought me to right now. And now I’m excited to see what’s next. 

Now what about you? What would you tell your 10 years ago self?