One thing I\u2019ve learned about the future is that I\u2019m terrible at predicting it.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t count the number of times I\u2019ve confidently said what would happen\u2014to me personally, to my friends and family, in the country, in the world\u2014and been completely wrong.<\/p>\n
Similarly, could you have predicted 20 (or more) years ago where you would be today? Would your younger self be surprised at what your older self is up to now?<\/p>\n
There are countless reasons why we\u2019re so bad at predicting the future. One is our default belief that \u201cthe way I feel now is the way I\u2019ll always feel,\u201d so we don\u2019t see a future when we\u2019re not sad, angry, anxious, discouraged, and so on. But clearly our feelings change, so even just sleeping on an emotion often makes it different in the morning. Another reason is we\u2019re surprised by things no one could have predicted: a surprising job opportunity, the end of what seemed to be a stable relationship, the death of a loved one, meeting the person who turns out to be your life partner, and so many other \u201cplot twists\u201d we didn\u2019t see coming.<\/p>\n
All I know for certain is that the future holds blessings and challenges, joy and heartbreak, excitement and worry, and all the experiences in between. Some of our worst days are ahead of us, but so are some of our best days. We won\u2019t know until they arrive.<\/p>\n
One of the most important things to keep us going during hard times is knowing our mission, purpose and aspiration (MAP). This video, produced by the War Related Illness and Injury Center (WRIISC) and led by Louise Mahoney, gives you the opportunity to explore these ideas for yourself and develop your own mission and purpose.<\/p>\n