Nothing is set in stone

How many times have you told yourself that if you knew then what you know now, that you’d go back and do things differently?

Yeah, me too.

The thing is…that it’s never going to happen.

The truth is that there is no possibly way that you would know then what you know now because you wouldn’t have been through the growth, experiences, changes, that made you who you are now.

There’s no shortcut in life like there is in the “Dune” series.

You can’t tap into the knowledge of your ancestors to be born with the knowledge and awareness of an adult.

Imagine being in such a situation where you have full cognitive capacity from birth.

It’d be a prison.

• You’d have a psychological breakdown knowing that there’s a perfectly functional toilet that you physically can’t use because of your stubby limbs and lack of motor control.

• You’d be craving a lox and cream cheese bagel sandwich while swilling down bottle after bottle of formula and baby food.

• You’d go nuts communicating with your parents on the finer points of the economy as you watch the news with them but have no teeth or full capability to enunciate the words you want to use.

Not to mention the fact that it would be incredibly unsettling for everyone to have to treat you like an adult.

It wouldn’t quite be like Stewie from “Family Guy”.

So yeah, who you are right now, the identity that you now (hopefully) have your thumb on couldn’t have happened sooner.

Your identity is an ever-shifting aspect of you.

The only difference is that now you’ve lassoed your awareness to that rocket like Spiderman did in “Avengers: Infinity War”.

Awareness was step 1…this is step 2

I hinted at it above, but let’s talk about the final thing I want to assure you of in this first step towards your digital heirloom.

It’s a process, a journey, it’s not a package deal that you’re throwing out there.

It’s documenting who you were, who you are, and who you will be.

Accept the fact that you have changed, are changing, and will continue to do so.

Without. Fear.

You’d be surprised at the number of people out there who live under that perpetual state.

It’s a constant companion, but that’s all it is…

It’s a backseat driver, and it’ll only slide up to the front if you pull over and do the Chinese fire drill to allow it to do so.

• Childhood was blissful ignorance.

• Puberty sucked. You were maturing.

• Your 20’s weren’t bad, but you were solidifying into the adult you are now.

• If you’re in your 30’s, you’re coming into your own and really getting a handle on life.

• I’m in my 40’s, and I’m guessing that this decade is when I apply everything I learned from the previous three decades to make an impact.

If you’re beyond this point, let me know if I’m on the right track!

The truth is that I don’t have anything figured out, but I know this is what I want to do with my life: to share everything that I learn so that you can accelerate your process.

If you’ve read this newsletter from its weird and jumbled beginnings, then you know the important of self-reinvention.

Every decade of our lives we go through massive upgrades physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Hindsight reveals this to us. Just in the past year alone, I’ve gone through several small-scale reinventions (AKA re-brands) in my writing until I arrived at this point.

What’s incredible is that with each change and pivot, you build confidence that you are getting closer to that “yes” moment.

Each iteration gets a little clearer, a little more definition, a little louder.

Your own “Eras Tour”

You’ve defined your values, reflected on the internal and external factors that shape your identity, and gained an acceptance of the fact that it’s a flowing river rather than a stagnant lake.

So here’s the last exercise before the we step into the next chapter:

• Reflect on each period of your life and your identity in each one (the good, the bad, and the ugly).

• Take note of the changes that occurred as well as the aspects that didn’t.

For example, one aspect of my identity that has been a thread throughout my life is my love of teaching others.

Whether I was tutoring math, running a Tae Kwon Do class, teaching dance choreography, lecturing on electrical circuits, or encouraging kids to repeat Mandarin phrases back to me, I was enjoying it. Writing is a natural activity that complements this value well.

The foundation, the core of who you are can be validated when you take these into context of your discoveries this week.

You made it (OMG, you’re here)

So what did you think of this first week of creating your digital heirloom?

Even if you just read through them, I can tell you right now that your brain couldn’t help but start to rummage around in the back and start going through the archives of your memories. It’s an amazing organ like that.

If you want to go back through these posts, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results because of that.

I’m also going to put all these into an eBook (I’m terrified).

Comment below or email me if you want a copy.

P. S.

This was week 1 of “The Digital Heirloom” system.

Next week, I’m going to delve into exploring roots and heritage: the dimension of our identity that directly links to our origins culturally and geographically.

As an Asian American in a bi-racial marriage, I have a lot to say here…