Last week, God allowed me to write the blog “Because I Know the Future”. Then, for most of this week, I was meditating deeply on this topic and felt that I had more to convey. So, here is my attempt at writing part two.

The first thing I would like to say is that the blog last week fundamentally changed my thinking about life and how we, as individuals, carve our destinies. That blog made me wiser and more conscious about designing my future. Let me introduce you to the new Dane, Dane the Master Designer.

It heightened my awareness of how my present actions directly contribute to my future outcomes. Some might say, “Dane, you are 48 years old, and you are now realizing this!”. To this, I would respond, “It is not that I now realised this; I am more awakened to the depth and impact of the little things we do and how they can birth a particular outcome.

Have you ever heard the expression, “If I knew then, what I knew now…” I am sure most of us have. Why do many of us say this? We say this because, by our assessment, we matured and became wiser and looking back, we found ourselves filled with folly. But do we think that we were so unwise in our younger days?

We were unwise in not taking a long-term view of our current actions. We didn’t have the wisdom to say, “How will this end if I continue with my current behaviours or if I leave the behaviours of others unchecked?”. I would like to coin the phrase, “We got caught up in the moment of me”, where people selfishly hold to their views, opinions, and actions without casting their gaze into the future. Let me remind everyone that every action will have an outcome, and every inaction will have an outcome.

My friend, I am trying to tell you that after writing last week, I have become more outcome-based in my daily thinking because every action or inaction I take today creates an event tomorrow, and it’s the same for all of us. If you want to change your tomorrow, change something you are doing today. I cannot repeat that last sentence enough, “If you want to change your tomorrow, then change something you are doing today”. Even a tiny change can lead to compounded effects over time and produce great results. In the pictorial below, look at what a tiny change over the course of a year can make.

Let me share this. A friend and I were speaking this week, and during part of the conversation, they mentioned that they and their spouse were having communication problems. I primarily listened, just to let the person air their views. Then, later that afternoon, I told myself, “Dane, you know the future”. If your friend continues to have these communication problems, then down the road, greater issues await. Therefore, I called my friend the next day, referenced the first blog and told them to be careful of what was happening now. Don’t get caught up in the “moment of me” without looking at the big picture and the inevitable in time to come (continued unhappiness or divorce). I had to tell my friend, look into the future, and evaluate from an outcome-based standpoint.

The more my friend could look into the future and visualise the outcome as it indeed can be, the more they will jump into action in the present. Let me phrase it another way, “The more we think about the future, the more we prepare in the present”.  We should all be doing this, thinking three, four, and five years ahead and documenting the action steps for achieving our dreams and desires.

It’s essential to focus on outcome-based goals in life and your daily activities that feed into these outcomes. You can achieve this by asking yourself, “What is the likely outcome of what I am doing now?” Here are some examples to help clarify this concept:

  1. As per Psalms 1:1-6, God has advised us to meditate on His word day and night. When we follow this, we will flourish like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bearing fruit in and out of season, and everything we do will prosper. Conversely, if we fail to do so, the opposite will be in our future.
  2. Think about it. If you don’t spend quality time with your spouse and prioritise everything else, like children, work, or other commitments, what will be the future of your marriage? What would be the outcome?
  3. Similarly, what will be your future if you don’t spend enough time studying and developing yourself? Will you get the promotion you want? Will you get the salary hike you deserve? Will you land the better job you have always wanted? The answer is pretty clear, isn’t it?
  4. Also, if you are not spending quality time with your children now, do you expect them to be close to you in the future? It’s important to remember that we reap what we sow. Therefore, we must sow the right seeds and nurture them daily. Be careful what we sow within (our hearts) and be careful what we sow around us.
  5. Finally, think about what will happen if you don’t exercise and work out regularly. Do you think you will be as strong and healthy in the future? The answer is self-evident. So, it’s crucial to take care of your body and health from today.

Dear friend, we must not take our daily actions and inactions for granted. We must be deliberate in choosing our stances wisely in every aspect of life. By wise, I mean we should take the time to map out and list all the possible outcomes that our current actions and behaviours can bring. After creating this list, we should not be too naive to think that the worst outcome on that list can never happen to us. We should not be overly optimistic and foolhardy to believe that the best outcome will be achieved miraculously. You will agree that “the best things don’t come from bad behaviours.”

I hope that this blog will inspire students, spouses, working professionals, and family members to take a moment to reflect on their daily habits and consider how they may impact their future. Remember that your actions today shape your future, so choose wisely!

END

PS: Dane Miller was last seen training his mind to become outcome based in his thinking.

NOTE: please see part 3 of this blog here – Because I Know the Future – Part 3

Your Brother in the Lord,

Dane Miller | Authored Book – “God is the Author, I am the Pen.”

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