Individualism - Does the Future Not Exist?

The Issue

Oh, it's been a while since I last came back to write an article on personal development. This time, it will be a series talking about individualism - One of the ways that has helped me maximize my potential up to the present moment.

In fact, the things I'm about to say are all from a famous book that I've been reading for a while, called "The Courage to Be Disliked" by authors KISHIMI ICHIRO & KOGA FUMITAKE. The content of the book is a dialogue between a young man and a "philosopher" revolving around the issue of his life not being as good as others'.

After finishing and contemplating, there are indeed many things to ponder in this book. Therefore, I have the audacity to rewrite some of the main points in this book according to my personal perspective. These interesting points - which both I and the readers can contemplate, even apply to our own lives.

The first article in this series discusses whether the past influences the present and even the future. If so, then surely those who have suffered psychological trauma will never be able to escape from the previous traumas. But in reality, many people have overcome them, so how did they do it?

Does the past truly affect your present and future?

Let's close your eyes and try to put yourself in a state of "unconsciousness", how long can you keep it? Yes, I'm referring to meditation - a state that takes us beyond the thoughts in our heads. For most people who haven't mastered this technique, every time they close their eyes, countless scattered thoughts come up. Thoughts about things in the past, present, and even anticipating the future, they overwhelm us and can't be controlled.

I used to have this problem. As a pessimistic person, I always thought that everything was terrible for me. There was even a time when I couldn't sleep and developed a fear of sleep, leading to physical weakness. But fortunately, now I can control my thoughts through the process of self-learning meditation.

Thoughts bring both optimism and pessimism to us. With the same thought, some people always see the positive side, whereas others only think about the negative aspects. The reason for this, in my opinion, is partly due to psychology, partly due to experience. When our life experience is still limited, it is obvious that we don't know any other way besides being pessimistic. Someone might tell the pessimistic person to be optimistic because optimism is great. But the pessimistic person doesn't know how good optimism is; they haven't experienced it, so that statement is useless to them.

We are too familiar with the theory of cause and effect. It means that an event in the past will lead to a corresponding result. For example, because I stayed up late, I couldn't wake up early; because I spent too much time working, I couldn't learn anything when I got home…

It sounds very logical, the theory of cause and effect has existed for a long time and it's hard for anyone to refute it. In short, if one thing has happened, it will definitely bring something. Experiencing a major incident in the past led to my trauma in the present, so my future will be forever traumatized.

The past can influence the present, only if you think so. If you know that the events in the past bring many troubles and you need to overcome them to make life better, but still rely on the "trauma" as an excuse to continue being afraid, then that must be what you want. "Trauma" might bring some "benefits" for you at the present moment that you don't want to overcome.

On the contrary, you can completely become the person you want if you can go beyond the barriers of the past. What's happened is gone, focus on the present. Your next life will continue from now, so every choice at this moment is what determines the future.

For me, life goes on no matter what you do. The past has passed and cannot be changed, the future is something that may not exist and it is only woven from the very choices at this moment. So I train myself to temporarily "forget" the past, my life only progresses from now on, and knowing what I am doing is enough.

If so, am I denying setting goals in life? For those who live by plan, goals are something they set to pursue, goals help them go further and achieve more throughout the journey of life. However, thinking for the present does not mean rejecting goals. It means approaching the goal in a different way.

Instead of setting a goal and thinking about it every day, the details of how to achieve it, worrying about the progress… take action right now. Your actions at this moment are meaningful towards the goal, just different in that, instead of thinking about tomorrow, the day after… take action today, your actions, no matter how small, will gradually move towards the previous goal.

Like a math problem, there are always many ways to solve it, 1 + 1 = 2 but a highly complex calculation can also yield a result of 2. Whichever way you go, you will still achieve the goal. It's just how that process unfolds. Whether it's simple or complex, only you can discover that, to know more ways, you have to open your mind and accept more from others.

How does this way of thinking benefit me?

Firstly, I am no longer bound by the past. Maybe in the past, I was haunted by something. But if I know that the choices at this moment determine the future, then why bother about the past?

Secondly, being aware that taking action at this moment is to aim for the future. The past belongs to what has passed, cannot be changed. The future may not yet exist, but it is created right here, right now.

Thirdly, it opens up unlimited potential for yourself. There are still many things in this world that we have not experienced, so experience as much as possible to know that not every common mindset is suitable for ourselves. Acting according to the majority means living according to other people's lives. Acting according to your own will is difficult because it goes against the majority and easily becomes a "strange" person in the eyes of others.

Fourthly, liberate the mind, worry, and truly live a meaningful life. What happened yesterday, the day before, or even tomorrow, the day after… has already happened or doesn't exist yet. So why bother? Why not focus the mind to live and act right here, right now?

There are many other things that I can derive from not looking at the past, taking action at this moment, and building my own future. Many people may be uncomfortable with what I say or even find it strange, "Sad" for this article is no problem at all. I think that, I have gone through such a period until I am ready to accept new and unfamiliar thoughts, to experience as much as possible, and if it suits me, why not keep it.

Conclusion

The past can have a significant influence on the present and future, but only if you "allow" it to. Instead of thinking about the past to conclude to the present and ignoring many opportunities for personal development, take action right now to decide your own future.