past, present, future

I found myself reflecting on the progress I have made in the last ten years and was utterly astonished. It seems Bill Gates was right when he said that most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years!

We generally have three states of being (the past, the present, and the future). Where I am now is a result of what I did in the past. And where I will be tomorrow is a result of what I am doing today.

So it appears to me that these three states of being are intricately intertwined. It is as if the three states all exist simultaneously at the same moment. Think of yourself as a series of beings stretching out from the past, to the present, and into the future. Who you are today is a function of who you were yesterday, and what you will become tomorrow depends on who you are today.

Your present self is the only version you have the most control over. The past is generally gone but you can still modify the past version of yourself by reframing the stories you tell yourself. For instance, any negative experiences you went through in the past can be thought of as character building experiences which made you more resilient. Aside from reframing, there isn't much we can do to change the past.

The real opportunity lies in the future. We can create the future we want by boldly imagining the life we want. Then we can act in a certain way today to achieve what we want. So we owe it to our future selves to make the most of ourselves today. Human beings are capable of bargaining with the future by thinking and acting in a certain way today.

The idea is to develop a clear mental picture of what you want to have, to become, and to do; then you hold this picture with firm conviction and faith, believe that you receive what you pray for, and act like the person you want to become today.

This way we can hope to achieve more than we anticipate in the next decade.