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Hope, Regret and Your Next Ten Years
In this video, I am featuring two ideas.
One is from Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher, whose words from his essay “The Emptiness of Existence” ask us to reconsider how we live our lives.
He says,
“Of how many a man may it not be said that hope made a fool of him until he danced into the arms of death!”
The point he makes is brutal, we spend all our lives waiting for something to happen, our next big achievement, our next stage and our next moment to shine in the spotlight, only to discover at the end that the life we were waiting for was the life we were already living.
Here is the entire passage:
We are always living in expectation of better things, while at the same time we often repent and long to have the past back again. We look upon the present as something to be put up with while it lasts, and serving only as the way towards our goal. Hence most people, if they glance back when they come to the end of life, will find that all along they have been living ad interim: they will be surprised to find that the very thing they disregarded and let slip by unenjoyed was just their life—that is to say, it
was the very thing in the expectation of which they lived.
Of how many a man may it not be said that hope made a fool of him until he danced into the arms of death!
And the one is a video. A young man named Adam Itka created a 45-second experimental video titled “You Have Just Gone Back 10 Years.” and it went viral a few years ago.
He says,
“This 45-second experiment will change your life entirely. And for that to work, I want you to close your eyes.
And I know what you’re gonna say: ‘Oh, let me just watch this with my eyes open.’ But trust me on this one, if you don’t close your eyes, this experiment becomes kind of pointless. So, close your eyes now.
Imagine it’s 10 years later in the future, and your life is exactly the opposite of what you wanted it to be. You have a job that you hate, you hate the people around you, you don’t like your physique, and you’re not happy at all. You really, really hate your life.
One night, at around 3:00 AM, when you’re on your phone, you see a picture of yourself from 10 years ago, and you say to yourself, ‘If I could go back 10 years in time, I’d change my life entirely. If this opportunity was given to me and that I could go back 10 years in time, everything would be different.’ And you begged God to give you back that chance.
Now, open your eyes. You just came back 10 years in time. Out of all the people who asked for this chance, God gave it to you only.
So tell me, what are you gonna do with it?”
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About The Article Author:
Hi, I’m Rachana. Its been my dream for years to do something to consciously create a better future where every one of us is excited about our own potential. My challenge to everyone is that they aspire for their personal best and leave a legacy of their work through their contributions to mankind.
One more thing. In December of 2044, I hope to win the Nobel.
Will you join me on this journey of growth and transformation?
Namasté.
CLARITY - A Pillar of FutureSTRONG Academy
Our children will one day face the real world without our support. Academic development is not the only skill they will need in the real world where people skills like taking the lead, emotional intelligence and a strong moral compass will determine who will shine. So, as parents who want to raise well rounded adults, we want to give them the right tools for their personal development.
Here is CLARITY as described as the 6 C’s of Future STRONG.
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