Week 1, Day 7

Week 1, Being Finite

Day 7, Let the future be the future

Summary: We never know what the future holds. Burkeman writes:… “we’re hopelessly trapped in the present, confined to this temporal locality, unable even to stand on tiptoes and peer over the fence into the future, to check the everything is alright there (38)

         Living in the moment has never been my thing, but although I use planning as a way to fight anxiety, I also know the futility of trying to control the future. I doubt my approach will ever change, or even if I want to. Planning is helpful and fun, as long as I remain aware that things may not always turn out as expected. Burkeman, however, points out that part of our anxiety about the future stems from a lack of confidence in our ability to handle whatever life throws at us.

Homework: When anxiety starts to percolate, I need to work on trusting myself.