A letter from MC Mar 22, 2025

Dear FutureMe, This is you! You 1.1/5 year ago. At that moment, you started a journey on yourself. You were looking to cultivate your growth mindset and understanding the fixed one. I know there was some cognitive dissonance at times. I, also, recognize that you were very grateful for starting this important experience for your well-being. This brain of us needed this new plasticity but, most of all, aww! both of us needed self compasion. Being mindful of our emotions, observing ourselves and taking steps ahead to reach awareness, self knowledge, self regulation and action is meaningful. Those are the language we have been using so far and the results are pretty positive and thinking changing. Do you remember when we read Kross, 2021? the chit chat, the rumination were going around our heads and it was tough at times. I was concerned about my future me, I mean concerned about you today. I asked myself many times if we were going to make it, if YOU were going to be a really improved guy. How about the non violent communication approach? it comes to my mind the written thinking over we were having several times at class and at home. Looking back was always a good exercise; hope you still write your thoughts, put in words your emotions. Let me ask you, are you observing your evey day?, are your recognizing the emotions, your emotions on those situations?. Please!, don´t forget to connect with your needs and dare to tell what goes on your mind and heart. There were times of shame, embarrasment, cognitive emphaty, affective emphaty. I learned these words and terms at the university. Er! cool class right! Words that became real several times at home and work. But, we always reflecting on them. Always trying to recognize them in our interactions with others and looking for how good or bad we did. Well, what makes me feel excited now is to see how good my plan for you truly worked. On one side, the 6 thinking hats task was really motivating and helped a lot to come to this action plan. Going over our growing mindset left some necessary initiative to take. The first step I took was to keep the habit of writing, like some kinda personal diary. It wasn't easy but it started to feel nice to write my head voices and body sensations. Ouchhh!! how hard was identifying my body emotions, teacher told me at first! I believe that yoga for dummies on YOUTUBE was wheewww! enlightening! I'd heard about yoga but never tried 'til my mind and emotions called for it. Second step, watching this girl Brené Brown on her tv show about emotions, Atlas of the Heart; enternatined and helped to my personal writing. My next step was to enrolled myself on this online course Gestionar las emociones en tiempos de incertidumbre y estrés; ummm! some academic activity, but good enough to study about emotions. Then, I turned out to be curious about reading. I fancied this Ethan Kross Chatter book. Hmmm...I dunno know! just found attractive that tittle and went for it. I learned tons! I really gave you some food for thought. Of course!! All of this looks like too much, but it was a slow process, little by little did it. GRIT!! stamina! and curiosity I believe gave me a hand. I just wanted to be better, to grow some way, to be a better man, a better teacher too. I've not said a lot about the teaching job I had at that moment but I'm sure you put all of this mindsetting project at the service of others, you're just like that kind of guys! I know kids at school have told you how grateful they have been for your words, your example and motivation and the many times you listened to them and give them hope. Ohh man!! I think that's why you are reading this one year later too. I believed you deserved a letter as those kids many times wrote to you. I realized you enjoyed this reasonable trip. It came to your life for one reason, so appreciate it, use it, share it. You know!, on the other side, this is like a follow-up from the you in the past. You will, probably, do the same with the you in the next 3 years after you. You know, like just checking on how we are doing in the future, how we've evolved; like, are you doing your homework? Again, please!! use that checklist I created to check and make sure we were doing things. I hope this voice of yours is your favorite sound now! Remembering how it took-off. Yipeee!! How crazy woww! reading yourself from the past. Grit! Stamina! Persevere! Come out of the box! Keep going! and Relax, take it easy and fun!. From you in the past. A year & 1/5 ago, Bogotá, Colombia. Home bedroom, Saturday.