Planning for Tomorrow

It may be that the future has no existence, but it certainly has meaning to the individual and to society. And attached to the self and the self's always-already world is both the past of the self's experience as well as societies. Language and thought are the creatures of history.

Consider what is involved in making the statement, "I expect Tom to visit me tomorrow evening."

Thank you, jg.

That is a statement made in the present with, as you say expectations of a prediction of what is planned in the future. That is absolutely a part of the now as you stated "expect" as being totally appropriate. Yet it is not yet happened and it may very well not and in that regard it should be left alone. Make the appropriate preparations and dismiss it. What I am saying we allow so much stress about those realms that do not exist allowing them to affect so much of what really matters in our lives. The statement you made is completely benign and of no consequence unless you expect Tom to bring you "bad news", this is a totally different matter. That expectation can have tragic affects on the present if that is all you know is the fact that "Tom" is coming by. It is that future that we fabricate is what I am talking about. Such as the expectation of losing one's home because you owe money; or your son is traveling a great distance in bad weather to visit; or your health is failing and you may not be able to meet your obligations. All of these "notions" really have a profound influence on how the mind functions, especially as it affects the brain and how it manages the body.

Guilt from the past, coupled with worry about the future really can and do screw up the now if they are absolutely prefabrications.

As far as anticipation, it can be a wonderful thing in a positive sense, but all to often when that which we anticipated fall's through, here again we suffer. Finding happiness and trying to offer all that society expects can drive you insane. For many that is just the case. We don't have a 1 trillion dollar drug industry for nothing. Both legal and illegal.

It took me 30 years to understand what peace of mind is all about, yet it is extremely hard to explain to those who have never experienced it. Not on a continual basis, at any rate. We live such stressful lives we often mistake just normal "ease" as euphoric. If we could change the reality we have created by lessening what is "on the mind" you would be absolutely amazed at how the mind processes the knowledge you have stored there.

William

Why?
I don't intend to derail the topic. I do not 'plan', other than very tentatively. I have no expectations, no hopes. What is, is. Life seems to unfold nicely even if i make no plans. I don't think that the universe cares what I might 'desire'! So, I am that i am...
Now, back to your signature line; why?

Nameless, I have posted this in another thread, though I have edited it a little here. Posting it is the best way I can answer my signature. It is a little lengthy, I hope it helps a little.

Understanding who we are and why we are here is a unique thought of which only the Human Being ponders. Why? Because we can. No other life form present on this granite planet has that ability. So it is more than an assumption for us to preclude we are "designed, created, deposited, evolved" to do something with that unique distinction forcing us to discover those answers. It is only natural, right? We do covet it so, this thing we call "life", even though we know of no other existence to compare it to.

It is reasonable to assume there is something else, we just "can't put our finger on it" as it is beyond our comprehension, but not our "imagination". What is that by the way, "imagination"? Hmmm?

You would think in the "time" we have existed on Earth, we would have arrived at those answers, huh? It would seem, from the rudimentary process of trial and error, our life on this planet would be approaching an error free existence constituent with that universe of which we are a part. Are we so naive to assume we are not a part of that grand macrocosm? Surely not. How could we? Hmmm?

We've come a long way since "Earth, Air, Fire and Water" in that effort to understand who we are and why we are here, haven't we? Have we been wise? Have we learned from our mistakes? As we observe our "status quo", it is obvious, "not". So where did we go wrong?

You will be pleased to know we didn't go wrong, it had to happen. In the overall picture, all that has befallen man is nothing more than a little bit of "friction" as we adjust to the sentience that is the grandeur of our being and the role we have in that inexplicable macrocosm for we are by far it's grandest creation. How's that grab ya?


"God's Debris" did it for me. It is a short essay written by Scott Adam's about an omnipotent being, who on a lark blew himself up, just so he could put himself back together again. You know, the big bang and all. I on the other hand believe the universe is just God and we are divinely a part of that and we are that sentient feeling, physical manifestation of God. It was that last loose end I needed tied up that would allow me to understand my life and the role I play in this world we call our home. It is our home and we are all "metaphysically" linked and God is that link. Remember this truth, if is requires "effort" that means "DO NOT ENTER". What we are meant to learn we will arrive at without effort as if on a silver platter, so to speak, as God (We) divinely communicate. We really have no choice. It's who we are.

You see this sentient existence is new to God, too. TA DAAAA! Catching on yet. That "friction" I mentioned is God experiencing what it is to be human. We are the physical, sentient manifestation of God. We are his hands. The mind, the most valuable sense of all, is his method of communication provided it has clear reception. Where do you think I am getting all this? from a book. Not hardly. As Sherlock Holmes would say, "It's elementary, my dear Watson, elementary. Can you imagine where we will be when we graduate? Ahhh, what a trip.

That guidance is the free and unfettered mind accessing all the knowledge you have acquired in your existence and utilizing it the way it was meant to be used. To live, not survive. There is no death, only a part of life. Consider this phrase: GOD IS ME; I AM NOT HE. We're just young and brand new and don't have a clue to the over all picture. That's what our life is all about: creating that picture as we link up with that we have become disconnected from. We do have the ability to exist on our own and that is were "free will" comes in. You see there is no free will unless all man is allowed to exercise it. That's were we have really been screwing up. That's why we kill each other. More about that later.

Now let's get back to that friction. This is really going to bust a lot of bubbles out there in organized religious land. It is time you knew the truth too. God and what we have defined as EVIL are one and the same. We had no choice but to create a culprit. We had to assign blame to the errors of man's hubris on something. We are created too perfect to admit our culpability or we just couldn't sleep at night. Call it the grand "rationalization". "The Devil Made Me Do It". Little did we know, as we are all creators of a sort, we created "The Devil" and fed it it's food of choice: FEAR. Yet it is all God. Let there be no mistake of it's existence for it was "our" creation. Remember, we are Divine, too. We also create stuff. Just look out your window at all the "stuff" we have created. Wow!

Being that we are a creation of the universe, and we created Evil, the God created evil. The evil is just us tuning up. Now I now it's hard to believe considering all the crap we have done; but you also have to remember we are eternal too. Death may not be all we think it is. Death may not be that big a deal at all, it's just witnessing it that we don't like.
That Divine guidance we know as "instinct" that prevailed on Earth prior to our debut could not just be "turned off" in that it was not known what man would experience exposed to this "new environment" as his sentience would define, as he would learn what was compatible and alien to that existence. Needless to say he would be more than susceptible to the primal nature of that instinctive influence. That influence IS that necessary "Friction". It is that same "metaphysical" communication that existed prior to man, that guides my "words" today. The only difference is it is more "human". We did that, as this omnipotence learned what it is to laugh, to feel, to know joy, as well as to cry, to know anger, wrath, jealousy, greed and all of the other frailties that friction (fear) imposed and preyed upon.

Up until now, life has been an indoctrination or an orientation, if you will as we determine what is "good" for us and what is "bad" for us. We had no game plan. It was always trial and error from the very start. We had to come to understand for ourselves the warmth of the sun could only be appreciated by learning from the lessens our storms teach us. By the way things are going we haven't learned that much at all. We are in a world of hurt. You see we aren't fighting with slingshots any more. It's gotten rather serious. You know that heaven and hell you read so much about. It is beneath your feet. Guess which one we are existing in? Yep, we haven't even begun to live yet. It's just a matter of how much hell are we going to endure before we see the light. More about that later also.

In all that I have been exposed to that represent the mosaic that has occurred in man's existence, the truth of which is filtered throughout that tangled landscape, when brought to the surface give's it a clarity of such magnitude, any opposition will appear for what it is: feral, animalistic, predatory, cold, cunning and malicious representing that ancient wisdom and it's residual effect evident by our very frail status quo (reality) we have created.

Fear is the first and greatest emotional experience as the "soul of man" realized the mortality of what he considered his "being", unaware of his past with only death to look forward to. Yet, though having no knowledge of otherwise, sentient existence is, to say the least, "overwhelming" necessitating that desire to prolong it bringing about man's greatest paradox. That conscious "mental & physical" effort to prolong it is, in a nutshell, the root of all that plagues man and that quality of life he is entitled. So it is safe to assume the more we hold on to life, the more we fail to appreciate it. A true paradox.

Peace of mind it the gateway that will allow man to get "in tune" with the universe (God) which religion calls the rapture and then we will stop surviving life and begin to live it. Big difference. The biggest problem we must come to grips with is this Earth is not for sale. Life is an entitlement for all who call it home. It is time for us to change the reality we have created or we will have to begin again. So you see it is important we act as though we are immortal, simply because we are. Now just in case I am wrong, what difference does it make. We insure this world is a hell of a lot better for those who follow us. Isn't that the human thing to do? Is that what we are doing? Hell no, not by a long shot. Now if I am right, everybody wins.

"Truth is not curing man's ill's; it is eliminating that which caused his illness"

William

"We cannot prove our eternal existence; but it is imperative to believe we are."

Whose imperative? I would like to meet this fellow, challenge him to a duel in front of everyone and make such belief thenceforth impossible. Eventual death makes life worth living.

It is reasonable to assume there is something else

That assumption is common, not reasonable.


Regarding the original post, the future and the past are nothing but ideas that exist in the present.

Hey William, thanks for tossing this out there. I'd like to jump in if I may...

Sure. We do it even without much thinking. What's more, its necessary. We needn't know *with absolute surety* what will take place, but we know what's likely. So we do, it's quite simple. It's hard for us to imagine, but in all things we have some sense of "planning"; why put your shoes on ever?




No, and I definitely wouldn't want one. Wherein might lie any satisfying discovery of "the undiscovered country"? How would one learn, enjoy or take joy in that surprise of the good - that *shock* of the bad (both of which adds to the substance of our existence) if we had any such knowledge of our future.




I think I know what you mean. There are periods of a sort of "lucid peace" where worries, cares and regrets just fade and all there is, is the peace of the present. Sure, I'm with ya. But I believe this has more to do with "peace of mind" and relaxation than anything to do - specifically - with the past or future.

This is a really good notion - these moments of worry-less torpor; perhaps a worthy topic on its own.

Well, the mind is fragile in many ways. But don't you think we do this already?

Among other things, we are the sum-total of our experiences. You can't escape the past. Every action, every thought comes - in part - from your past. The past *is in* the present, and through actions you've yet to take, the past *will be* part of your future. Given how we're structured its simply ineluctable. No need to overthink it - it already happens. Taken too far; yes, one can become hopelessly wrapped around the axle - almost a paralyzing type of morbid sensitivity. And yep, I've been there




Some folks are. I think its a good thing (to some extent) and a necessary mechanism that we worry *SOME* about tomorrow. How else might we prepare? How else might the mind see and feel the seriousness of something important that's on the horizon? I wouldn't abdicate a destructive pre-occupation with "tomorrow", but I think the process often can be a good, productive behavioral mechanism. Knowing I have a job interview tomorrow helps my mind grasp the seriousness of it; sharpening the senses and demanding my attentiveness as I prepare. Worrying - just a bit - about the tire pressure in my front-left tire is my mind's way of helping to ensure that I do something about this condition which could threaten my life. Worrying about tomorrow's (or next year's) doctor's visit results is more likely to prompt me to quit smoking. Etc.. does this help and/or make sense? Am I missing the mark?

Fear for the future and regret for the past - for the sensitive of mind - can be overbearing. I've felt this and I suspect I'm not alone. I'm with you all the way on the notion that our *primary* focus should be in the present. But as far as these two notions are concerned, a healthy notion for mitigating them - one that I've always liked; a line from a movie whose title I can't remember - is "Guilt is like a bag of rocks. All you have to do is *choose* to put it down".

Anyway... not sure any of this helps clarify or add to the discussion. But... I've enjoyed the effort!

Thanks


:shifty:

Khethil Responded:


This is a really good notion - these moments of worry-less torpor; perhaps a worthy topic on its own"

My Response:

Thank you so very much for the time you have taken to respond to a very hard to understand subject. Your above comment is the underlying reason why I posed the question. Peace of Mind. The future and the past have everything to do with it. What I have become to realize and so few can understand is the mind at peace is fully capable of assessing that we need to know in the present to insure that peace of mind. It's like a "perpetual motion" machine. I will "unconsciously" provide you with the "data" you need to maintain forward momentum with "no stress". If we "consciously" try to "dig" into all the knowledge we have acquired to "do that", we get stressed out. Data overload. It is virtually impossible. I can only visualize a reality in which all minds were at peace and the synergy and harmony that would produce. I have spent my whole life reaching these thoughts. Let me give you a "taste" of what I am talking about:

Imagine you awake, you swing your feet off the bed and they, without even noticing slip into you house shoes. As you are walking to the bath, you, without even noticing it, step over a roller skate one of you children left on the floor that you noticed the night before. You do not grope for the light switch in the bathroom, you find it perfectly. As you leave you do not turn off the light for as you open the door, your wife who doesn't even break stride, enters as you leave. Normally you would have turned off the light. Upon entering the kitchen you notice a note you put behind a magnet on the refrigerator door you put there a month ago reminding you of a close friends birthday tomorrow. You take the note and put it in your pocket. The note pad was a freebie you got at the hardware store with their name and number at the bottom they give their customers as an advertising speciality. As you are pulling out of the driveway, you don't notice a car coming down the street at a high rate of speed and just as you are about to back into it's path, your wife comes to the door and waves her hands. You hit the brakes and stick your head out of the window as she reminds you to pick up some milk on the way home. In the meantime the car goes speeding by.

On your way to work you find you are a little early and decide to stop and get some donuts for your co-workers. As you pull into the donut shop you notice the parking lot is full and you decide to leave. Just as you are heading for the exit a car pulls out leaving you a space. Great! You are inside waiting for your order and you notice an ad in the newspaper the person next to you is reading and it is a hardware store that is running special's on fishing equipment. As luck would have it, you pull out the note you got off of the refrigerator and it is the very same hardware store, located only a few blocks from where you live. Your friend loves to fish. You put the note away pick up your order and leave.

As you are entering the freeway of speeding traffic, just as you are at that point to where you are to merge with the oncoming cars a space opens up allowing you to enter. Traffic is congested but moving at a pretty good clip and all of a sudden the car in front of you puts on the brakes, and you reflexively veer to the left lane where there just happens to be an open space in the traffic to accommodate your sudden move. You maneuver it with the greatest of ease and continue on in that lane. You are driving and notice a truck with "out of state" tags. It is of no consequence, just the fact that it was noticed is all. You quickly dismiss it and continue on.

When you arrive at work, you go around your office and pass out the donuts and in casual conversation one of your co-workers expresses a problem her son is having in selecting a major that would best fulfill his needs as he wants to be a landscape architect. Immediately the license plate comes to mind. That state is where an acquaintance of yours lives that is a landscape architect. An acquaintance you met at a convention you went to last summer. You remember a photo that was taken of the both of you. You don't remember his name, but in the photo you were both wearing name tags. You call your wife to pull up the image on your computer to get the name. She does and you relate the information to your co-worker so her son can give this guy a call to see what advice he can give. The word "architect" reminded you of a crack you have in your driveway and prompted you reach for the note in your pocket and jot down to inquire at the hardware store when you visitthere to get you friend his gift, what their advice would be concerning getting this crack fixed.

In the course of the day your co-worker informs you that she contacted your acquaintance and asked that you give him a call. You do and throughout the course of the conversation he tells you of a new product that will allow you to fix that crack in your driveway and you can do it yourself. Also he and his wife are going on an all expenses paid vacation and he has two extra tickets and asked if you and your wife would like to go. Not bad. You told him you would discuss it with "the wife".

On your way home you stop at the hardware store to pick up the fishing gear for your friend and find out that they just received a new shipment of that "new product" that will allow you to fix your driveway. As you pull out of the parking lot you notice a billboard that say's "GOT MILK". You have one more stop to make.

At any point in the course of that day, tragedy was knocking on the door waiting for admittance, yet it turned out unbelievably harmonic. That is "God Consciousness" That is peace of mind doing it's thing. Now here is the paradox. You can't look for it. It is life unfolding as a result of absolute faith with no fear present. It is a very possible depiction of what life is "supposed" to be about.

The mind is that link to that inexplicable intelligence that will effortlessly guide us into tomorrow as we each and every one link up to it. We can consciously set the groundwork that will allow each and everyone of Earth's inhabitants to achieve that "peace of mind". We can do that. What it will lead to is what dreams are made of. That is our reason for being. The mind is "God's" link to us. The only problem is there is too much static or noise that forces us to access the wrong information in our mind that we keep on tap to help us survive in this very "shaky world". The mind belongs to God, let him work it. Can we explain it? No. That's where faith comes in. It took me thirty years to understand this. Of course I had a lot of help. Please don't ask me to explain that. You wouldn't believe it even if I told you.

I'm sorry I have not addressed any of your other points. If you don't mind please give some thought as to this scenario and tell me what you think. I will reel myself back in. I can get out there. It is literally amazing what the mind is capable if we will just let it do it's thing and don't mess with it that much. It's a life thing, not a survival thing.
William

Houston, we have Liftoff!

I'm afraid to ask. Did I get too far out?

William

Ahh, the interconnectedness of all things. It boggles the mind sometimes.