Happy People think about Their Future

When you think about your future, you are doing all kinds of things to your brain and your heart and your body that you don’t understand. There’s a fun little exercise I do with kids sometimes. I give them a broomstick and tell them to hold it in the palm of their hand. I ask them to focus on the bottom inch of the broomstick in their hand, to stare at it up close and then to try and balance it. And they can’t do it. The get mad. They think it’s a trick, especially the boys. But then after I calm them down, I ask them to do the same thing but to stare at the top of the broomstick instead. With almost no effort, they balance the broomstick perfectly. Then I ask them to turn the broomstick sideways and think of it as a timeline. If that bottom inch represents right now, and you only focus on it, then the future has no balance. But when you have your eyes set on future ideas, today usually finds a way to balance it self out. When you set your eyes on something greater, then you do better at today. And you usually enjoy it more too. I know it sounds like a paradox—something that can’t possibly be true— but almost anyone who has ever accomplished something great didn’t just fall into it. They dreamed it and went after their dreams. So dream a plan. Your day will be brighter and your future will glow.

Excerpted from The Truth About Dating, Love, and Just Being Friends © 2011 by Chad Eastham. Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

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