by Kelly Grace

Created on: July 17, 2008   Last Updated: February 29, 2012

Futuristic thinking takes experience. Babies and animals live in the now because they don't know to avoid this or push towards that. Thoughts of the future can be for the dreamer, the skeptic, the cynic, but all and all thoughts of the future are theories charged by past experiences.

The future is there, not here. Let's try to understand what thinking about the future is really about, it's really about procrastination that is acceptable. Thinking is not doing. Application of thinking is the process of doing the thought. I can run without a destination because I can run in place. I can swim without a port, because I can tread water. Thinking is stalled movement, pending application.

The question "How are you doing?" is typically followed by a generous dose of selective honesty. A "Good," or "better tomorrow" may be the answer, but one thing that is always true is that questions about your future are not so simple to answer. I can tell you I'm great and feel okay or tell you I'm okay and just be great, but I can't tell you exactly how these moments and feelings will transcend my journey into tomorrow.

That is the beauty of the future, it's a fantasy, a time and place yet realized. I can tell you what I want the future to be, I can even write a "To Do List" about it, but can I will it to happen? Should we even bother really thinking about the future when day in and out we are forced to look at news of people's futures being ripped from them by terror plots, community violence and other diabolical thinking? Maybe the savage culture has one up on us civilized units in that they live in the moment so in essence no time for depression, no time for worry, just living the future one second at a time.

I propose not thinking about the future and start thinking about now. What are you doing now? What will you do now that will in a second be then? Later is for people that aren't doing much. Have you ever had a friend tell you they were so busy, but they never once told you what they were busy doing or what they were going to do? They got so side-tracked on thinking about being busy they got tired.

Let's not think so much about tomorrow that we forget now, that we forsake the moment. I am an advocate for make a difference now, not later, because later isn't real.

Thinking about the future isn't proactive as much as it is retroactive, much like a prequel to a movie. Thinking about the future forces us to think about what we are doing now. Future thought can forecast possible trends and possibly prevent the unwanted from happening only if you react to your own speculations, again its chance related because we can't control other's futuristic thoughts.

Let's think about now because we appreciate now, not because we are consumed by living tomorrow. What joy is found in sacrificing this for that when we do not know what that is? I like movie sequels, but only if the original was so good I'd want to know what was next. If your life isn't good enough today, why wish it all away for a tomorrow that just may be a repetitive experience. Make a move to make now the future you want or not. You can wish, pray and think and do nothing and hope for the best like it's all preordained or can enjoy living.

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