Recently, I listened to the audio book, The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle. I am going to share my own interpretations and learnings from this book, which I applied to my fourth talent theme, Futuristic, identified by StrengthsFinder 2.0. There are many positive attributes to possessing the strength Futuristic, but there is an awareness that comes along as well.
My StrengthsFinder Report described Futuristic in me as follows:
“Driven by your talents, you possess a high level of skill and/or knowledge about specialized issues, subjects, processes, or programs. You probably combine this expertise with your ability to set definite goals for the coming weeks, months, years, or decades. Because of your strengths, you channel your mental and physical energies toward what you can accomplish in the months, years, or decades ahead. The question you must answer is this: ‘How far into the future can I think before my ideas start becoming vague or uninspiring?’ It’s very likely that you periodically establish performance targets for the week. Once in a while, you think about what your life could be like in the future. Some of these forward-looking images may motivate or energize you to meet your weekly goals. Perhaps you do better work when you can concentrate on your near-term objectives. Instinctively, you create detailed and vivid images of what the future promises. You can describe it long before others can imagine it. By nature, you are eager to get started on a project once you realize what you can accomplish in the coming weeks, months, or years. You work very hard to breathe life into your big dreams. These often push and pull you into the future.”
Part of my journey in living out my purpose is the realization that I need to consciously live in the present moment. However, using my strength of Futuristic in my work as a Success Coach allows me to carry out my “Mission” to:
- Paint the picture of what could be,
- Help my clients understand what makes them unique,
- Connect my clients to their talents and strengths to achieve awareness of their true potential, and
- Inspire my clients to take action, move forward and live their life purpose.
My point is that I made a very clear distinction on how best to use my talent, Futuristic, without creating mindset limitations that could prevent me from being my best self, living out my purpose, and achieving my dreams! Futuristic is only one of 34 talent themes identified through StrengthsFinder.
As I previously explained in my last Blog post, Expanding Your Strengths:
As I previously explained in my last Blog post, Expanding Your Strengths:
“Your talents do not exist in isolation. You are not just one thing or five things. You use various talents to respond to different situations, and you frequently use several themes at once, whether you know it or not. The more you examine theme dynamics in your life, the more you will understand how your talents make you who you are.” – Excerpt from Expanding Your Strengths by Curt Liesveld.
For the purpose of this Blog, I am isolating Futurist to simplify and demonstrate application of this particular talent to my learning's from The Power of Now, which has given me a new perspective and has reinforced that living out my life purpose is a learning process. A process that has tremendous opportunities for growth and development to be my best self.
Just one other point to mention is that learning to live in the present has also taught me that there is no such thing as “problems” unless I choose to create and view opportunities as problems. By being open to and welcoming opportunities, and removing negative self-talk/perceptions, I open my Universe to receiving the good out of every situation.
“We must be conscious and responsible for our beliefs and behaviors if we are ever to be free.” – Brendon Burchard
The Power of Now provided me with a new awareness, which is, futuristic thinking unregulated (in my own terms) can create an illusion that the future will hold promises of fulfillment, happiness, and success. However, the uncertainty of the future, the “unknown,” creates anxiety and fear within and “negative thoughts” about problems that really don't exist in the now.
“Why evoke within emotions of fear and anxiety and spend precious energy creating a problem that does not exist? Doing so robs us of the joy of living in the present moment.” - Beckie Jorgensen
So I have to ask myself, "What can I do now?" If the answer is nothing, I need to trust that present moment awareness will in-of-itself provide me with a clear solution when faced with an opportunity. If there is an opportunity in the current moment that needs my attention, I take action - remove, change or accept it. Viewing situations as problems vs. opportunities causes undue stress, suffering, and pain.
From past experiences, I know all too well the consequences that negative thinking has on physical and emotional health and well-being. I lost my sense of self and weakened my strength of positivity.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that positivity is my fifth talent theme identified by StrengthsFinder. Below is an excerpt from my report:
“By nature, you desire to leave behind a legacy of great value and worth. In the end, you want your life to have mattered. For this reason, you are impelled to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the planet or people’s lives. Often you urge individuals to do their part in making the world, or at least their little corner of it, a better place for all living things. It’s very likely that you exhibit a deep fondness for people. This explains your ability to help others experience and compliment their accomplishments. Because of your strengths, you often motivate people. You patiently observe, ask questions of, and listen to each individual. This is how you pinpoint someone’s talents, skills, knowledge, interests, goals, and/or background. In the process, you usually discover the best way to train, coach, or praise the person. Instinctively, you like to lift the spirits of the people around you. You know what to do and say so individuals feel useful, valued, appreciated, and important.”
I share this specific excerpt because it demonstrates the POWER and meaning that positivity holds for me. Positivity is an innate gift! If I do not intentionally fuel my positivity, my purpose of leaving behind a legacy of great value and worth is lost. My life will not have mattered.
“Every time you put something positive into the universe, the world changes. Your kindness invites miracles to show up, not just in your world, but in the whole world.” - Unknown
To stay present, The Power of Now teaches to also ask, "Am I experiencing joy, ease, and lightness in what I am currently doing?" If the answer is no, then I choose to change "How" and not "What" I am doing. By drawing upon my other strengths such as strategic #1, responsibility #3 and learner #6, I am able to create new ways to get things done.
Because of my futuristic strength, I “channel my mental and physical energies toward what I can accomplish in the months, years, or decades ahead.” Setting goals is very important to me. But to fully live in the present, I need to focus on what I am currently doing now, not on the future results. You see, by focusing my actions in the present moment, I do not create those inner feelings of anxiety and fear nor do I create negative thoughts (i.e., What if I fail?) born from a place of “uncertainty or the unknown" or from worrying about the future results. Why?Because in the present state of being, I have already accomplished my goals and achieved success.
The Key Take-Away: We need to be aware of when our thoughts shift from the conscious (present) to the unconscious mind (past or future). Listen to those thoughts, feel the emotions, and observe your reaction. But just listen, don’t waste precious energy judging or analyzing them. The art of listening to your mind alone can recenter you to the present moment and bring forth the tremendous value of clarity, confidence, and calm in living your life purpose!
“Living your life purpose is in the now. Not in the noise of past or future thoughts.” – Beckie Jorgensen
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