The future comes every second of our life. The moment before you read this sentence is the future. Every day, we make conscious and unconscious decisions whether our future reflects our habits or something entirely different.
If your past and present is about the same and you’re satisfied, then you probably won’t change anything in your life. As a result, your future will resemble the past.
Some people are satisfied with their past and present. Some people are fortunate to be benefactors of favorable conditions beyond their control. Other people have learned to make peace with what they cannot control — the past — and optimize their present under its current conditions.
The present is a gift. That’s why it’s called a present. It can be easy to forget about the value of the present when we expect to wake up tomorrow and live another day. Unfortunately, some of us experience a near death experience or lose a loved one. It’s those times that remind us about the fragility of life. Even if you never had a near death experience or lost a loved one, I hope it doesn’t take a such experience to realize the preciousness of life.
There are three things that are certain in life. The first thing is the future. You will live to see it even if that’s only another second, minute, hour, day, month, year, or decade. Regardless of the unit of time, it’s still the future and you will live to see it. The second thing is taxes. You will pay them regardless of your financial status. Some of the taxes that you pay are different and some people pay more than others, but every person still pays taxes. The third thing is death. Eventually, you will die. Every year, there is new research and/or technological innovations that enable us to live longer, but it only offers us a longer life. It doesn’t offer immortality.
The reality is that we don’t have full control over these things, but our decisions can give us better outcomes.
Death is unavoidable. However, we have some control of certain factors in our life like reducing stress, eating healthier, and exercising more. These conscious decisions can allow us to live a longer and healthier life.
Taxes are unavoidable, especially for Americans and citizens of Westernized and rapidly developing countries. If you’re an American, you can avoid paying certain taxes, but not all of them.
It’s possible to avoid paying state income tax and sales tax, but you’ll still pay federal income tax. It’s possible to avoid paying state income tax if you’re a resident of a certain state and federal income tax if you live abroad making less than $102,000 USD. However, you’ll likely pay sales or VAT tax in most countries.
Sometimes, you pay taxes in advance. Sometimes, you pay the taxes at the time of purchase. There are other times that you pay them later. Regardless of when you pay the taxes, you’ll have to pay them whether it is frequently or occasionally.
The future is unavoidable. We may often refer to the future when we talk about plans for next month or next year, but the future comes every second of our life. Based on your past and present, you feel optimistic, pessimistic, or somewhere in between about your future. Fortunately, your future has three possibilities.
Be a Mirror of The Past
Your future can be a mirror of the past. If your present doesn’t differ from your past, then your present will continue to become your past. Your future will be a mirror of your past if you make no changes in your life.
Be a Mirror of The Present
Your future can be a mirror of the present. Your present can have favorable or unfavorable conditions, which is largely dependent on your past. However, your present state is based on your past decisions. Your future will be a mirror of your present if you make no changes in your life.
Be A Mirror of a New Present
Your future can be a mirror of a new present. The new present starts at the moment that you decide that you will do things differently. It starts with a conscious decision followed by a new lifestyle of different habits. Your future will be a mirror of your new present if you make the necessary changes in your life.
My Final Words
Your future awaits your decision. You will make a decision because even a decision of inaction is still a decision. Your future has three possibilities. The choice is yours! Do you want to start reaching the finish line? Do you want to thrive in the Generation Y era?