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Dear Younger Versions of Me ✍🏽:
As much as I might want to make this letter sound epic let's face facts, our life has not always been that rosy and gone are the days back in Primary school where we'd lie our hearts out just to make believe.
To be honest with you I was terrified this day would come.
I've been trying my best to avoid ever having this meaningful dialogue with you as it would have been so easy to justify a life that just rolled out unplanned -
But hey 13 year old Tadiwa , we need to talk...
Having lived this confusing stage of your life as the only child with no one but God to reach out to and really inquire about some rather personal stuff like how not to give in to sexual sins... I just thought you should know that daddy remarried and now we got siblings bro!!! I like to see them more as our kids though and I've seen to it that I take this responsibility and play my role as a big brother and sometimes father figure if need be 😌.
These two won't have to cluelessly figure out how teenage life works as unlike us they've got a blubber mouth of a brother who once was a teenager too.
Life is no longer as quiet and lonely as it used to be, it's noisy and sometimes quite stressful too 😩😅🥲
Moving on to the 16 year old you:
Growing up we made an eternal oath to seize every opportunity that comes to us or even stumbles our way and always strive to be the best versions of ourself using Faith as our currency as most of the time you know how the few resources at our disposal didn't seem be able to afford us the plane tickets to our destiny so we'd patiently take tiring long walks or bumpy rides there.
We envisioned ourselves not leaving the world just as we found it but engrave greatness and leave a lasting impact like the vulgar graffiti expressions we used to see inscribed on public toilet walls in the CBD.
I believe we are getting there. We now believe in ourselves more than we did back in the day when we hadn't figured out a lot of things and the story of our life seemed so uncertain.
You've always been a leader since elementary school where you played King Herod adorned in an oversized red royal robe and with two missing front teeth;
to primary school where they made you headboy; to junior high where you were a senior prefect before they made you a headboy; to high school where they made you a student leader too...too much unnecessary information but you know we ain't getting any younger and soon dementia will be setting in so I thought it best to mention the baby steps you took to becoming who you are now before we start counting your life achievements and success in leaps.
To 20 year old self:
Man, some things I'd like to say to you, the previous two versions of me will definitely need PG.
Clears throats - as you grow taller, they expect you to be wiser too...
That deep, calm and soothing voice you have echoes the deep, profound and sometimes dark thoughts in you too.
Love:
Well our name comes with its own set of woes; I honestly sometimes feel indebted to love and love I will...
We found love in different forms, shapes and sizes but none of these mortal lovers' tokens of affection all summed up together could ever surpass the love that God has for us.
Some say life begins at 30 but yours began at around 20 when you were not only concerned about what's on the table but what you'd brought to it too.
You figured out that soon enough you'd definitely want to be a family man too and be the head to your own house thus the urgent need to expose yourself to the struggles of the life of being a provider.
The experiences you've had and the harsh truths of life you've learned over the years will surely guide you.
Being a man helps you understand the struggles your father faces daily better.
And if you ever get to marry, be a good, loving husband to your wife and an exceptionally exemplary father to your kids.
***
What's done is done. The past is just a story we will continually tell but we live in the here and now.
Now that you have evolved from being a boy to becoming a man, man you better know that the future belongs to those that invest into it now.
So wake up, pray up and work yourself out!
We will only sit back, relax and enjoy when we have brought not only ourselves but the entire hood out of the slums.
Man - work!
At this point in your life nomatter how eloquent you may be, you just can't justify being broke.
This time around you will get to realize that success is a love language, it turns many people on. But be careful of the folks you will attract and the company you keep son.
Be grateful for those who will celebrate your breakthroughs with you and count yourself lucky whilst holding on so dearly to those who will also stand by your side when life breaks you.
These days these people are so rare, so if you find one, keep one.
There is also one more thing that I learnt and you can take it as one of the biggest life lessons of them all:
If you can win souls for Christ, it will be so easy for you to win the hearts of men.
So like your iconic forefathers who taught you better not to always religiously follow script but strategically use these great podiums that by God's Grace you will time and again find yourself on, to boldy speak up for who and what you believe in.
***
In case you haven't noticed yet, you are the voice of a generation - what use are you in this world if you don't use that voice to speak life?
What use are you on this patched earth if you do not let God use you to water it?
What use are you in these breaking homes if you don't pull yourself together, get to stand in the gap and bring out the reconciliation that these families so badly need?
What use is money if not to time and again withdraw some to help someone?
Hope you will use your material possessions and intellectual advantages to be a benefactor to the less privileged.
Cause what use is your elevation if you are going to let ego get the best of you and make you blow dust on those who stood by you in your take off?
Hear this son, never let soaring on high make you throw shade and be the obstruction in the sky to some people's sun ever reaching them.
The world is growing cold, but you were called to be The Light Of The World - so always bring joy, warmth and good tidings!
Sometimes you will get to walk in Prophet Ezekiel's shoes through the valley of dry bones - cheer up for it is for these that you were called.
Allow the Holy Spirit to blow a breath of life onto dead situations through you.
Always be there and ready to siphon these blessings from above.
***
The harvest is plenty but the laborers are few so don't take lightly or ever think about neglecting this great commission.
Worry about faithfully serving and let Jehovah Jireh take care of all the provisions you might ever need on this journey.
He who started this great work in you will finish it! God will definitely raise helpers for you!
Brace up for the life ahead of you!
The Spirit will take you to lofty places and sometimes lead you through badlands...
As you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, always remember and don't you ever forget what the psalmist said, that you should "fear no evil".
No weapon that your adversaries have masterfully designed and carefully tailor forged for you shall ever prosper!
___
There's more to life than respiration.
To truly have lived is to have accomplished that which you had been created and sent forth for in such a time as this.
Your divine purpose in this life transcends your personal aspirations and education backed career path, so always listen to what God has to say about your next move.
With this, let me sign out...
Your future is indeed very bright and I'm hopefully looking forward to meeting you there.
Yours,
Future You.
(Hopefully we will be having a Dr. to our name then)
Envision yourself being called Dr.
© Tadiwanashe Chikundi
#WritcoStory
#ThoughtsMadeAudible
#Reflection #Selflove #Selfbelieve #Selfcare
To be honest with you I was terrified this day would come.
I've been trying my best to avoid ever having this meaningful dialogue with you as it would have been so easy to justify a life that just rolled out unplanned -
But hey 13 year old Tadiwa , we need to talk...
Having lived this confusing stage of your life as the only child with no one but God to reach out to and really inquire about some rather personal stuff like how not to give in to sexual sins... I just thought you should know that daddy remarried and now we got siblings bro!!! I like to see them more as our kids though and I've seen to it that I take this responsibility and play my role as a big brother and sometimes father figure if need be 😌.
These two won't have to cluelessly figure out how teenage life works as unlike us they've got a blubber mouth of a brother who once was a teenager too.
Life is no longer as quiet and lonely as it used to be, it's noisy and sometimes quite stressful too 😩😅🥲
Moving on to the 16 year old you:
Growing up we made an eternal oath to seize every opportunity that comes to us or even stumbles our way and always strive to be the best versions of ourself using Faith as our currency as most of the time you know how the few resources at our disposal didn't seem be able to afford us the plane tickets to our destiny so we'd patiently take tiring long walks or bumpy rides there.
We envisioned ourselves not leaving the world just as we found it but engrave greatness and leave a lasting impact like the vulgar graffiti expressions we used to see inscribed on public toilet walls in the CBD.
I believe we are getting there. We now believe in ourselves more than we did back in the day when we hadn't figured out a lot of things and the story of our life seemed so uncertain.
You've always been a leader since elementary school where you played King Herod adorned in an oversized red royal robe and with two missing front teeth;
to primary school where they made you headboy; to junior high where you were a senior prefect before they made you a headboy; to high school where they made you a student leader too...too much unnecessary information but you know we ain't getting any younger and soon dementia will be setting in so I thought it best to mention the baby steps you took to becoming who you are now before we start counting your life achievements and success in leaps.
To 20 year old self:
Man, some things I'd like to say to you, the previous two versions of me will definitely need PG.
Clears throats - as you grow taller, they expect you to be wiser too...
That deep, calm and soothing voice you have echoes the deep, profound and sometimes dark thoughts in you too.
Love:
Well our name comes with its own set of woes; I honestly sometimes feel indebted to love and love I will...
We found love in different forms, shapes and sizes but none of these mortal lovers' tokens of affection all summed up together could ever surpass the love that God has for us.
Some say life begins at 30 but yours began at around 20 when you were not only concerned about what's on the table but what you'd brought to it too.
You figured out that soon enough you'd definitely want to be a family man too and be the head to your own house thus the urgent need to expose yourself to the struggles of the life of being a provider.
The experiences you've had and the harsh truths of life you've learned over the years will surely guide you.
Being a man helps you understand the struggles your father faces daily better.
And if you ever get to marry, be a good, loving husband to your wife and an exceptionally exemplary father to your kids.
***
What's done is done. The past is just a story we will continually tell but we live in the here and now.
Now that you have evolved from being a boy to becoming a man, man you better know that the future belongs to those that invest into it now.
So wake up, pray up and work yourself out!
We will only sit back, relax and enjoy when we have brought not only ourselves but the entire hood out of the slums.
Man - work!
At this point in your life nomatter how eloquent you may be, you just can't justify being broke.
This time around you will get to realize that success is a love language, it turns many people on. But be careful of the folks you will attract and the company you keep son.
Be grateful for those who will celebrate your breakthroughs with you and count yourself lucky whilst holding on so dearly to those who will also stand by your side when life breaks you.
These days these people are so rare, so if you find one, keep one.
There is also one more thing that I learnt and you can take it as one of the biggest life lessons of them all:
If you can win souls for Christ, it will be so easy for you to win the hearts of men.
So like your iconic forefathers who taught you better not to always religiously follow script but strategically use these great podiums that by God's Grace you will time and again find yourself on, to boldy speak up for who and what you believe in.
***
In case you haven't noticed yet, you are the voice of a generation - what use are you in this world if you don't use that voice to speak life?
What use are you on this patched earth if you do not let God use you to water it?
What use are you in these breaking homes if you don't pull yourself together, get to stand in the gap and bring out the reconciliation that these families so badly need?
What use is money if not to time and again withdraw some to help someone?
Hope you will use your material possessions and intellectual advantages to be a benefactor to the less privileged.
Cause what use is your elevation if you are going to let ego get the best of you and make you blow dust on those who stood by you in your take off?
Hear this son, never let soaring on high make you throw shade and be the obstruction in the sky to some people's sun ever reaching them.
The world is growing cold, but you were called to be The Light Of The World - so always bring joy, warmth and good tidings!
Sometimes you will get to walk in Prophet Ezekiel's shoes through the valley of dry bones - cheer up for it is for these that you were called.
Allow the Holy Spirit to blow a breath of life onto dead situations through you.
Always be there and ready to siphon these blessings from above.
***
The harvest is plenty but the laborers are few so don't take lightly or ever think about neglecting this great commission.
Worry about faithfully serving and let Jehovah Jireh take care of all the provisions you might ever need on this journey.
He who started this great work in you will finish it! God will definitely raise helpers for you!
Brace up for the life ahead of you!
The Spirit will take you to lofty places and sometimes lead you through badlands...
As you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, always remember and don't you ever forget what the psalmist said, that you should "fear no evil".
No weapon that your adversaries have masterfully designed and carefully tailor forged for you shall ever prosper!
___
There's more to life than respiration.
To truly have lived is to have accomplished that which you had been created and sent forth for in such a time as this.
Your divine purpose in this life transcends your personal aspirations and education backed career path, so always listen to what God has to say about your next move.
With this, let me sign out...
Your future is indeed very bright and I'm hopefully looking forward to meeting you there.
Yours,
Future You.
(Hopefully we will be having a Dr. to our name then)
Envision yourself being called Dr.
© Tadiwanashe Chikundi
#WritcoStory
#ThoughtsMadeAudible
#Reflection #Selflove #Selfbelieve #Selfcare
