Читать книгу By Example: Twelve Personal Missions That Will Maximize Your Human Potential - Travis Slone - Страница 10

One interesting thing about the FUTURE is that it is the least real of the three selves. The great visionary Walt Disney once proclaimed, “If you can dream it, you can do it,” but there remains an enormous difference between dreaming and doing.

Until something is done, for instance, it is merely a dream, an imagination, a plan... While we always project some influence on the future, we by no means have full control over it, and it is never ours to own. Therefore, it can never be taken from us. This is very important!

As human beings on a quest for peace of mind or happiness, a healthy understanding of the future is paramount to our resilience. This is primarily valuable when conquering adversity, which just happens to be a meaningful and predictable aspect of life. When an unforeseen tragedy strikes, our imagination can make us feel vulnerable, for we often feel like we have been robbed of our future.

However, our feelings of disappointment are not because Life has failed us, but rather that our imagination and expectations have failed to predict Life accurately. Knowledge of this concept can go a long way toward healing your emotional pain. In fact, there are people who practice a skill known as ‘non-striving,’ which is based on managing expectations of the future, grounding yourself in the present, and then making the most of your current opportunity. As the popular Beetles song goes, do what you can, and then “Let it be.”

In summary, your FUTURE self is a product of your imagination, so don’t cling to it too tightly. Though at times it may be the source of life-saving hope, we must always adapt to our present circumstances in order to survive, and thrive. For we cannot be robbed of something that we do not possess, and the only thing we ever truly possess is the present moment.