I met my younger self for coffee today… -

I met my younger self for coffee today

by Kody Kerkeslager, Equine Professional

March 16, 2025

This is not about coffee. Weirdly not at all.

This is about self-growth. There is a viral TikTok out there talking about meeting their younger self for coffee. I used to read them be like cool, then move on. Until one day I realized its people realizing how they have grown. So often we forget get to live in the moment. We keep dreaming about our future. But never just be. Cause sometimes you forget you are living the moments you once dreamed of.

Instead of meeting myself for coffee, because I don’t drink coffee, I met myself somewhere else. Somewhere I cherish and always dreamed of being at.

I met my younger self for Barn Duty today:

He got there on time.

I got there early.

He asked someone what to do.

I was delegating tasks.

He brought in 1 horse.

I brought in 3.

He was sending photos of how he did stuff for reassurance.

I was confident about what I was doing.

He was anti-social.

I was talking up a storm.

He was hung up on a mistake he made.

I learned from it and let it go.

He left after barn duty.

I stayed and worked with horses.

From this meeting with my younger self, you can tell that I was more introverted and insecure. I have grown to be more confident and secure in who I am.

Whether your growth is big or small, it matters. when I met myself at barn duty all the growth is small, but when I look back at where I started, it’s big. The small adds up and eventually it will be big.

Remember growth is not always straight path. One will have setbacks and plateaus. At those times you will learn valuable lessons that will help you grow in the future.

Growth is personal; it won’t look the same as others. Your growth will flourish around your values and beliefs. Don’t compare yourself to others, but to who you were days, weeks, months, or years ago.

One way to help yourself grow is to surround yourself with people who will support you. I am lucky to have been surrounded by people who love and support me, which is also how I came to see and realize my growth. Along with love and support from others, remember to love yourself. See your progress, learn from setbacks, and stay away from harsh self-talk.

After really devoting time to building a relationship with my favorite horse, and making enormous progress, I decided to meet my younger self again.

I met my younger self for a horseback ride today.

He just grabbed the horse from the field.

I ask for connection to halter my horse.

He rushed to get his horse tacked up.

I took it slow being attuned and connected to mine.

He hopped on the horse first chance he got.

I hopped on when my horse tells me it’s ok.

His eyes were down and heels up.

My eyes were up and heels down.

He “told” right away.

I suggested.

He couldn’t post the trot.

I sat the jog.

He was scared to canter.

I was ready to gallop.

He hopped off after his last canter.

I cooled down my horse.

He turned his horse out after untacking.

I did after riding care for my horse.

He took the moment for granted.

I cherished it.

From this meeting, you can see how I went from not caring about the horse so much and only myself, to someone who has learned a lot about connection and respect for their partner.

While I still get caught up in what I want my future to look like, I have started just taking time to realize how far I have come. From not being in the horse world at all, to becoming a Horsemanship Instructor. In my moments of just “being” I remember my 8-year-old self just wanting to do barn chores, then I look where I’m at. Oh, the joy it brings me.

If you can’t make a “ I met my younger self today for…” yet don’t worry. You’re not behind. You are exactly where you need to be. Trust the timing of your growth. You’re meant to make mistakes; you’re meant to learn lessons. Your growth will happen. Start by seeing the small progress. Progress as slow as a snail in still progress. And slow progress is better than none.

I hope we meet again soon…

I met my younger self for coffee...