What If You Had Lunch With Yourself?

Somewhere along the way, I heard someone define success like this . . . If you had lunch with the nine year old version of yourself, what would the younger you think?

Would the nine year old you find the adult you lively and inspiring or jaded and aloof? Would you feel special in the presence of the older, wiser you? Or would you feel overlooked and insignificant? Would you convey excitement about your job and your life and what you are seeking to accomplish, or would you be apathetic and uninvolved in your own destiny? Would you be living the life of your choosing or experiencing a life that happened to you? Would you, in turn, be a good listener?

I remind myself to do this exercise every once in a while. For me, the example of a nine year old represents a vibrant, uncomplicated barometer of what is good, important, and noteworthy in the world. Many of us get tripped up over what our families, friends, and peers believe about us, but, in truth, that has very little relevance to who we actually are. A nine year old, on the other hand, sees right through the artificial layers; they relate to the world on a simplified, purified level. They see only "satya," also known as the "truth." Success requires that you truly like what you see.