Mod. 1.1 - How Does the Future Make Me Feel?

Share, as you would to a diary or journal, the feelings that come up when you consider the future. This could be your personal future, the future of your family or community, and/or the future of the planet at large; no feelings left behind!

It is ok, in fact preferable, to be as raw (un-processed / polished) as possible. Yes, these are not truly journal entries in that you are sharing them with your cohort; let the safe space you have created allow you to be open and vulnerable.

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My feelings about the future vacillate every day. In all things, I strive for balance and my thoughts about the future are no different. Some days I have to focus on the here and now in order to not be overwhelmed and remind myself of the importance of repetition and daily habits and practices, and others I have a bit of time to think about how my efforts in the here and now are supporting the future I want for myself.

When I do think about the future, so much of my thinking revolves around security and fear for a lack of security in the future due to any number of potential threats. The only means of removing that fear and creating that security comes from greater financial progress and resources. For better or for worse, our capitalistic society has declared these the rules of the game, and I am in the middle of playing it to the best of my ability. This program represents an important stepping stone in the resources I bring to how I play the game in the real world because a Master's degree has become the new expected standard for professionals and especially leaders to get ahead.

When I think about the future of my family, community, planet, etc., I know that greater financial resources will only provide me with more opportunities to contribute to making the future I want to see a reality. Whether it's providing a financial safety net for a family member in a time of need, having the time to attend a town hall meeting to learn about the issues facing my fellow citizens from local activists and advocates, or donating to organizations working to create more environmentally sustainable practices, the connective tissue which supports all of those causes is greater financial security.

I believe establishing that financial security is more difficult today than it ever has been before, but I also believe that if we were not equipped to be able to handle it, we wouldn't be experiencing it. I take it as a challenge to push myself that much harder, work smarter, and remind myself of the reasons I am doing those things. Because I believe my actions can have a lasting impact on those closest to me and create a ripple effect that spreads to so many others.