Reshaping the Future by Seeing the Present

The future holds the potential for betterment for all of us, and yet the current system does not always reward merit. Despite this, the key to transforming our future—and our perceptions of it—lies in reshaping ourselves and our perspective of our own place in time right now.

By viewing the future as something malleable, we can awaken to the realization that a better future is within our grasp, not just for ourselves but for everyone.

Recently, some of my family members from where I grew up came to visit us in our mountainous state. It was wonderful to have them here, to reconnect and share time together.

During our conversations, something a family member in her early 20s said struck me. She spoke of a growing sense of hopelessness about her future. She shared her frustration about living in her boyfriend's parents' basement, a situation driven by soaring rents and the irrational housing market. She mentioned how it seems like everyone these days aspires to be an influencer, and how it feels like there’s no clear path forward to actually making enough money to build a life without selling herself out on the internet.

I personally believe she has the power to shape her future—starting with reshaping how she views it.

But how do we do that? How do we reshape our future?

The easy answer might be winning the lottery or being fortunate enough to be born into wealth. But these are improbable scenarios for most of us. 

Some might suggest simply working harder or finding better ways to earn money. Yet, many are already toiling relentlessly, without seeing the fruits of their labor. Others, in their quest for wealth, may resort to unscrupulous means. Both paths are often driven by a system that prioritizes financial gain over human flourishing, self-actualization, or genuine support for one another.

So, how do we reshape our future? We begin by reshaping how we see ourselves in the present.

Our perspective on our place in the cosmos profoundly influences our vision for the future.

Many of us desire better things but struggle to see a way forward. Worse still, young people like this family member of mine recognize the immense potential in life, yet the system makes it seem unattainable for them.

There’s a saying I’ve heard in various forms: “Born too late to be a pirate, born too early to travel the stars.”

This mindset romanticizes a past that never truly existed while glorifying a future that may not come to be. It totally removes the value of the past and the future in helping us to realize that the present holds the potential to create the futures we dream of. 

Consider the realities of life in the 1700s during the age of piracy. Many infants didn’t survive their first years, and for those who became pirates, life was often brutal and short, fraught with disease and violence. Some films and TV shows may glorify those days, but many people today would find it sheer agony to have to live in such a time.

In truth, our present is better in many ways than any romanticized past. While suffering, hunger, and inequality persist, many aspects of life have improved dramatically for many people around the globe. We can point to numerous metrics—infant mortality rates have plummeted, lifespans have lengthened, and access to medicine, food, and water has expanded, access to education for women in many places has improved markedly. Technological advancements have brought more resources and opportunities to more people than ever before.

So, if things have improved, why do so many, even in relatively wealthy nations, feel a sense of apathy, uncertainty, fear, or anger about the near future?

I personally would argue that facing the harsh realities of living in a civilization of individuals where only a few individuals maintain most of the wealth and power while it feels indescribably unobtainable for most people is a large part of the problem. Wealth inequality doesn't just impact everyone's lives directly but also indirectly in how we consciously view ourselves in the world. I think that might be why it seem easier for many people to entertain ideas of dystopian futures rather than thinking that tomorrow itself may be radically better.

But on top of the uncertainty of the near future, it’s also curious that many people romanticize a distant future that has yet to unfold as though they can’t be a part of it.

We have a remarkable opportunity right now to build the future we want, yet many are disheartened by the gap between current realities and utopian ideals. Instead of working towards better futures, they often succumb to disappointment—and that is truly disheartening.

Perhaps it’s because the future isn’t just about external conditions. It’s about our internal landscape—how we see ourselves, our potential, and our place in the world. 

By reshaping our view of ourselves in the present, we can begin to reshape our future, not only for our own sake but for the sake of those around us. The journey to a better tomorrow starts within and starts with the realization that the future is unfolding around us right now. 

I see in my struggling family member the same kind of uncertainty and desire for something more that many of us had in our early adulthoods. There’s a harsh realization that happens through our transformation from adolescence to adulthood—we discover that the world is not as black and white as we had thought, that there are harsh realities to our situations in life (no matter how good or bad we have it), and, if we’re lucky, we find ourselves asking if there’s something more. 

I think my greatest piece of advice for those who are facing a reality where they can’t dwell in some romanticized past nor be magically transported to a future of their dreams is simply this: live today like the very beginning of the life you always wanted to live.