"My one phrase, ten years ago"

    

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     “Si tu pouvais dire une phrase a la personne que tu etais il y a 10 ans, que lui dirais-tu?” One of my cousins, asked me this question this week: “If you could tell the person that you were 10 years ago one phrase, what would it be?” This question seems like such a simple question but it’s amazing how hard it is to answer. Even the few people who I asked couldn’t answer.  This question really made me think and I decided to get opinions from people aged 25+. Below are some of the answers I received; they may be helpful as you think about how this applies to you:

1)   “J’aurais voulu faire un Erasmus. Un voyage dans un autres pays. Pour apprendre les langues” (I would’ve done an Erasmus. A trip to another country to learn a language)- Christelle, 24

2)   “Make it count. Make everyday an opportunity that counts, because they are not promised and are taken for granted” –Chastity, 30

3)   “Don’t be afraid to walk away. Don’t waste time holding onto things and people that in 5 years you look back and just wonder ‘what was I thinking’?”-Lulu, 27

4)   “Get ready. Just get ready for life and the things that come with it. You always hear about the “real world” and college but you will never know what it’s about until you experience both”-Stephane, 24

5)   " Decide to take responsibility for your own life. In life you’re either listening to the radio or you create your own playlist- meaning when you’re listening to the radio, someone else is determining what you’re listening to but when you decide to create your own playlist you decide your attitude and can create your future”-Rickey, 26

6)   “Think before you act. I acted before thinking with a lot of decisions I made, and although they’ve made me who I am today, I think a lot of the stuff I’ve been through could have been avoided had I just stopped to think about what I should do.”- Erica, 28

7)   “Invest more into your future, try harder to be your best and take more risks”- Richie, 25

8)   “Take your own advice”- Deja, 26
9) " It's better to look back and say 'I can't believe I did that,' than to look back and say 'I wish I did that'"- Dom, 24

10)  “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. I stayed in my comfort zone a lot when I was younger. It was safer and it didn’t make me try harder. I just did the bare minimum.”- Laini, 25

     10 years ago I wouldn’t have thought ethically about any of my actions or decisions. But I do today. We can’t always control what happens to us but we can control how we react to things. Mill’s Greatest Happiness Principle focuses on happiness as the ultimate outcome. Ten years ago I didn’t focus on the outcome, not because I was being careless, I was just taking everyday one at a time- I still do to a certain extent. One person to whom I asked this question took their time getting back to me and the outcome was not what I expected- probably not what he did either. “Drae you're right, there is so much more to life than this. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and explore, you will make it, and you're going be a better man in the future. You can live without her, and without those people who try and manipulate you. Your destiny is not tied to other people but to God alone. It's good that you went back to school even if you didn't graduate, you improved yourself, your thinking, and even the quality of your life is different because you chose to do what you needed for yourself. Drae you're going experience great hurt and loss in your life all within a 5yr span: you will lose your job, your best friend/brother, all 3 of your grandparents, your friend, and your marriage will fail. You will be setback for a few years unable to cope while on the outside no one will ever know the depth of disappointment you carry. You will become like your old self again, just angry and hurtful to people not caring about life itself. BUT God will change your situation and won't leave you broken. He will mend your heart over time; he will connect you with new friends, and great people to uplift you forming new relationships to grow in your life. The sun shines again, you’ll regain faith and happiness, and it's all for His glory and your development. Those musical dreams you're wanting right now will happen in abundance and you will have many opportunities come your way. Your love/passion for your musical gift will put you before great people. What you're praying about now comes later, don't give up... Smile everyday knowing you're on the right track, I'm proud of you!!”- Andrae, 33. 

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To you reading this, my prayer is that what God put in you be greater than what the world has set in front of you. That 10 years from now, you’re wiser, better, stronger and content. That your ultimate outcome be: happiness.        “...the ultimate end…(whether we are considering our own good or that of other people), is an existence exempt as far as possible from pain, and as rich as possible in enjoyments, both in point of quantity and quality…” (John Stuart Mill, 1863)

Xoxo,

Laini Kay.