Love Your Current Self the way Your Future Self Loves Your Past Self

I was looking through some old photographs the other day. The photos were from varying points in my life — from the days back in middle school to those taken just a few months ago.

Old photographs have the power to take me right back to those times. Some moments, I recall feeling extremely sure of myself. But there were also times I remember feeling quite inadequate and self-conscious.

And yet, no matter when it was taken or how I was feeling at that time, I found myself feeling a deep sense of compassion and love for my old self.

Even if it were from the days of my lowest lows, from where I stand now, the girl I see is just someone who was trying to do herself well. But boy, was I mean to myself.

At times, the past self almost feels like an entirely different entity. In fact, there’s a psychological concept around temporal distance and self-perception. Perhaps that’s why I can be so empathetic and merciful towards the old “me”s I didn’t feel most proud of at the time.

But then I started wondering.
I am aging every moment. In other words, in every split second, the current self ceases to exist; I renew into a different person. If this present self will become that of the past in the following second immediately, why not see myself the way I’d see my younger self, now? If I know my future self will embrace all versions of my past selves as is, why not respect the person standing here at this very moment with that kind of all-encompassing, unconditional love?

So, might as well show a bit more 🤍 today.