Can you picture yourself in the future? What do you see?
This picture is in your future:
If you picture yourself in the future, is it more likely you will have a future? Many past and present experts picture that as true. For example, when I encounter people who are expressing desperate thoughts and feelings, their prognosis for survival is much better if they are able to picture the future. In the psychotherapy biz, we call that “future-oriented thinking.” Also, a good attitude about the future helps people deal with scary, difficult events.
Picture this email — with the subject “Picturing my future” — that I just sent to my past-present-and-future cardiologist, Dr. Deeb Salem:
Hi Deeb,
Since you’re going to be talking to Dr. Carole Warnes from the Mayo Clinic on Thursday about my future, I would love to have a meeting with you on Wednesday. If you can picture that in our future, I’m available any time Wednesday afternoon. Can we make that work?Your inquisitive, future-picturing, and grateful patient,Ann
I will be out of the hospital until Tuesday March 29th Deeb
Is that Tuesday March 29 in the future? Oh no!
Do any of those pictures help you picture yourself in the future? The last picture helped me picture this Lip Sync Battle for our immediate future:
Shake it off, please, and picture yourself in my future by leaving a comment, below.
Future-picturing thanks to all those who helped me create today’s post and to you — of course! — for the future you’re picturing, here and now.
