Watching Interstellar’s 10th-anniversary IMAX showing reminded me of a scene that inspired this article: The ability to communicate with the past.
Imagine speaking to your future self.
Someone who has everything that you’ve always wanted.
You can find the answers to questions such as: Were we successful? How is our family doing?
Maybe you just want reassurance that your actions are enough and that your choices were the right ones.
You’ll have that urge to just want to know.
Your Future Self could tell you so many things, but where’s the fun in that?
However, knowing the future can be a little dangerous. It might alter your choices and change the course of where you’re headed.
If your future self could speak to you right now, they might simply say:
“Thank you for daring to hope when it felt easier to give up, and for finding strength in moments that tested you.”
Why?
Well, they’ve tackled the hard things, faced the same struggles, and come out on the other side.
They’ve lived the life you’re working toward and are exactly where you want to be.
But you have to realize, they couldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for you.
Just know that your future self is proud of you.
They’re proud of every late night you pushed through, every doubt you overcame, and every small step you took toward your dreams.
They see the effort you’re putting in now, even when it feels unnoticed, and they’re cheering you on.
They know that whatever you’re going through isn’t easy. They went through it, too.
And they made it.
And if they made it, why can’t you?
Your future self is there because of you, so don’t forget that.
If you don’t try, if you don’t take a risk, or if you don’t live, there is no them.
They exist.
They exist because you choose to trust in your decisions, in your dreams, and in your heart.
So remember this for your present:
It’s tempting to seek certainty, but the power lies in forging ahead without it.
Every choice, every setback, every triumph–it all adds up.
So keep going.
Keep dreaming.
Keep failing.
And keep learning.
Because one day, you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come. And maybe you’ll even write a small letter to your past self, saying the words you needed to hear all along:
“We made it.”
And in that moment, you’ll realize it was never about knowing the future—it was about creating it by believing in yourself today.