love yourself the way your future self does

NOTICE this video mentions hospitalization and bipolar disorder.

I’m easing back in after a tough few weeks — physically under the weather, mentally on a roller coaster. I took a hiatus to get stabilized after a bipolar episode. I’m grateful to be home, resting, and returning to my little digital diary.

Today’s “strawberry” arrived while I was scrolling old photos to plan a podcast shoot. I found a rainbow-washed series I took in June with a sunrise lamp. I remember hating them at the time. Today? I loved every single one.

What changed? Not the photos — my perspective.

We’re so quick to pick ourselves apart in the moment and so generous with our past selves once time softens the edges. I don’t want that gap anymore. I want the love of my higher self — the 80-year-old who knows what really matters — to be available now, especially on the messy days.

the idea:
Delaying self-compassion until “later” wastes time we can’t get back. Zoom out. See the whole picture of a life that’s trying. Let the present be worthy of gentleness before it’s edited, filtered, or validated.

three tiny practices to try this week:

past-me grace check (5 min): open an old camera-roll moment you judged harshly. List three things you appreciate about that version of you.

zoom-out minute: when you catch yourself fixating on a flaw, look for three things going right in the wider frame (health, friendships, movement, sunlight, a warm drink).

future-you lens: ask, “What would my future self hope I choose in this exact moment?” Then act on one compassionate micro-choice (drink water, step outside, send the text, rest).

channel note:
I’m slowing the cadence and the pace — chill, honest videos over grind. Go slow, don’t stop. I’m building a foundation for cooler things when the energy returns.

gentle PSA: If you’re struggling, you deserve support. In the U.S., call or text 988 for the S**cide & Crisis Lifeline. If you’re outside the U.S., please check local resources or a trusted provider.