How can we have impact on our future?

Yesterday I joined a paja leaded by Veijo H. and we spoke about how to lead our future.

First things first we figured out the subject of the paja, which turned out to be different than most of the group thought it would be. Most of us had understooding  this paja is about how the future leading positions will look like. Well, we were wrong, the paja was about how to lead your own future. The wording on the subject left quite a lot for the thinker to decide the purpose of the meeting.

We laughed for the misunderstanding and continued with the paja. What we could do to make our future seem more bright? Things do not fall from the sky, they have to be done. We started by looking into our surroundings. What can we impact on. I wrote down words like property, education, friends and investing.

Our own decisions have a great impact on the future that lands on us. Of course some of us have a mindset of just “ wait and see what happens “ but maybe in the long run its not the most ideal option.

When I was younger, I always had a mindset of thinking 6 months ahead of and no more than that. I planned always how is my next 6 months going to look like and what I want to achieve during those months. It gave me a clear vision what I am expecting from myself and gave me discipline to do it. I am still continuing with the same method but now I have to be a bit more committed than six months, since I have a spouse, apartment and we are starting to build a house together. Before I had no loans and no strings attached.

There are conscious choices we make and non-conscious choices. It might be that our choices changes after we collect more information. If someone had asked me 10 years ago what will I be in the future, I would have not had an idea. Now , since I have gathered more knowledge and information I might make more wise decision.

Leading ourselves. Everything starts with leading yourself. If you are depressed, not working, you cannot be expected to make very wise choices. What is surrounding us. What can we change? Is there something you should change in your environment? Is there a fear of letting go and stepping onto nothing? If I just quit the job I have, what will I do then? If I would have all that free time, what would I want to do? We should be open to changes and not be scared what will happen “if”.

How can we be lonely since we are all the time surrounded by each other in social media? When back in the days we used to surprise our neighbors by just knocking on the door and inviting ourselves in, nowadays it is almost a crime to go and visit someone without calling first. Social media is creating huge expectations which is also leading to feeling lonely or not good enough.

When thinking about ourselves we should grave for more but not be too proud. There is a fine line between being proud of what we are and being an “a£€hole”. Somehow, we should balance around. Being different is good. When we are younger most of us try to fit in the same mold and try not to stand out. If someone is looking a bit different, he/she might get bullied just for standing out from the crowd. When we grow older, I think it’s better to be different. It’s good to stand out from the crowd. We must have self-confidence but at the same time be humble. Being unique is good in life overall.

Always think of yourself as an mirror. Behave as you would want the others to behave. The more people you meet, the more chances there are that something “magical” will conduct. Most people have a “need to help” or they grave to help. So just by calling someone and asking for their help , could actually make their day instead of making them irritated that someone is bothering them. Always ask help, if needed. There is a saying by Jukka Jalonen, our great hockey coach :

“ Be the universe , were others can be stars”.

Some book recommendations that came up:

• Inhimillinen strategia. Paula Kilpinen.
• Time to Think. Nancy Kline.
• Movie : Social Dilemma.
• Vahvan johtajan tauti – Juha Martikainen