Be Brave Not Safe

Tales of time travel are certainly fascinating.

The stories typically involve the character(s) traveling to the past, to change some event, with the hope of creating a different / better future-state.

Let’s play on this.

Reality: We ONLY have the present moment.

But, we can visualize (or, for those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground, plan for) a future-state.

We do this when we plan a trip. The steps include determining:

• Our budget (what we can afford)
• Where and when we want to go
• How we are going to get there
• Who is going with us
• What we need to bring with us
• What we are going to do while we are there
• And, how we will return

Why do we do all of this “planning?” Obviously, to create an outstanding, safe and rewarding experience for all involved.

Said another way, to create a future experience that is pleasing to us.

Let’s keep going.

Reality: We ONLY have today.

If we arrive at “today” (again, today 🙂 ) and our life is less than what we desire, it is simply because on the prior “todays” we likely didn’t put in place and execute the plans necessary to create a smoother more enjoyable “today.”

Here are a few concrete examples:

• A college student needs to register for their classes. The task has been on their list (in their head) for weeks. They wait until the last minute. Guess what: The scheduling options are now limited. The desirable class-times published in the course catalog are no longer available. They must now adapt their other activities (i.e., work, sleep, etc.) to fit the remaining available times. Bummer…
• A business-person is going on a trip to a desirable location where they can spend some leisure time. They decide a few days in advance that they’d like to get a pair of prescription sunglasses. It is now early Sunday afternoon, the day before the trip and they go to a retail eye-care outlet. The outlet is busy and it turns out that the wait time is too great and will consume the remainder of their afternoon. No prescriptions sunglasses for this trip.
• A person needs to get their car inspected before the state-imposed deadline. Like everyone, their schedule is very busy. They realize they have a couple of hours, right now: it is late afternoon. They decide to try and get their vehicle into the shop, by calling them. The shop indicates that they are booked for the rest of the day. No inspection today.

All of these examples demonstrate the outcomes experienced when someone is unaware of the art of time travel.

Instead, if these very important “to do’s” were “planned” to occur in advance, vs. waiting until the deadlines, “today” would arrive and the tasks would simply get done. In the above examples, we are, quite frankly – thrashing.

I hate thrashing.

Let’s keep going.

If we arrive at “today” and wish we could:

• Offer substantial help to someone in need, but we don’t have the time or money to do so…
• Live in a better home or neighborhood, but cannot afford it…
• Quit that unfulfilling job and do something more interesting, but cannot due to the amount of debt hanging over our head…
• Go to that event, but it is sold out…
• Visit that exotic location to experience the culture and exquisite foods of a different country, but can’t (today) because this sort of trip needs to be planned months in advance…

It is because we didn’t leverage the art of time travel.

We simply CANNOT arrive at “today” and assume things like the above will show-up unless we take the necessary action “today” to create these desirable future-states.

It would be like arriving at “today” (in mid-summer), looking at our vegetable garden and being ticked-off because it is empty, when the reality is: we never planted the seeds!

In short, the art of time travel involves projecting the future we desire, laying down the plans for its fruition and executing – relentlessly.

Oh, and I found another quote that is in agreement with The Strangest Secret, published in a prior post.

If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. Marty McFly (Back to the Future).

Here is to TODAY – the ONLY day we have!