Let’s be honest who hasn’t thought about what they would do with a time machine? I may ponder this thought more than the average person but I think it would be hard to find someone out there who has never had the time machine thought, even for a fleeting moment.

Of course, there are the big ticket items we all think about, stopping wars, preventing unnecessary deaths, etc but let’s eliminate those from our list of possible time travel choices. Let’s say, your time machine only takes you to moments in your own life and you can’t prevent anything from happening you can just have a chat with an earlier version of yourself, what would you say?

 Childhood Self

Play, play lots and lots, enjoy the fact that you can entertain yourself for hours with a cardboard box and a paper towel roll. Entertainment isn’t cheap in your thirties. I know that your big brother is a bit of a pain but trust me one day he’s going to be your best friend, you’ll even look up to him. Listen to your parents more often, they usually know what’s good for you. Enjoy every minute of every day, where your biggest responsibility is getting to the bathroom on time.

Adolescent Self

I would tell my young adolescent heart to relax, that although it feels like “true love” every time you kiss a boy it isn’t. Try not to let your heart get broken so often, some times it’s in too many tiny pieces to mend properly. Spend lots of time with your grandparents, lots and lots and tell them you love them, that they’re wonderful and great even in their old fashioned ways. Appreciate their old fashioned ways. Don’t stress too much about your grades, sure they count but they’re not going to make or break your future. Respect your parents. That weird company that just got founded called “Google” BUY THEIR STOCKS.

Early Twenties

This boy who you think you’re going to marry, you’re not, he’s so very wrong for you. Love him, enjoy him but don’t sacrifice friendships, time with your family or anything else important for this love, I’ll say this again to myself in my mid twenties. Be healthy, be safe and stop worrying so much about what others think, only care about those that care about you.

Mid Twenties

So that other boy you think you’ll marry, you won’t. Don’t let him disrespect you, you deserve more than that. You really don’t have any real worries, you don’t have a mortgage yet. Start saving for a mortgage. Maybe you should just start saving in general, but not saving all those birthday cards, old photos and ugly Christmas sweaters; you will really never need or use them again.

Late Twenties

So you’re engaged, life is grand. Marriage is fabulous but it will test you, be prepared for that. You guys wake up late on Saturday mornings and I’m not talking like 9am late, sometimes the clock has passed 11am before you’ve glimpsed at it…ENJOY IT. You go for brunch, brunch…what is that again? In your mid thirties this meal will cease to exist. You can go out with just one small bag and your clothes are not all covered in stains, enjoy the simple things in life.

Early Thirties

Sleep. Yes that’s right, sleep lots. Sleep in, go to bed early and then sleep late. What are you doing on the weekends? You should be sleeping. Buy clothes but remember they’ll never fill any voids in your life and you don’t need them, you just want them. Save some more money. Stop saving junk. Every time you move you have to move all that junk with you, remember that next time you’re at one of those vintage stores. Do yoga, meditate, it’s good for you. Eat more vegetables. That dream you have, of opening a centre, DO IT. Let me warn you though it’s not going to be an easy path and there will be lots of times when you want to quit, but you’re not a quitter (at least you’re still not at 35, who knows about 40).

Mid Thirties

So here I am, wondering what on earth my 40 year old self would tell my 35 year old self. I can think of a plethora of things, like floss your teeth more often. However, after reflecting on all my time traveling I feel that there really is just one thing I would say over and over again to myself, enjoy the moment you’re in, stop worrying so much about the ones you’re not in, about the ones you’ve already lived (because you can’t change them) and stop worrying about the ones that are coming. Enjoy this moment, this moment right now with the people you love and the ones who love you back.