The best bet for a better future can surprise you

We all want better
We all want better, always. It’s in our nature. We always aspire for more somehow. No matter where we are in life, there’s always “better” to aspire to. The best bet for a better future, surprisingly enough, does not lie in the future, nor does it lie in the past. Your best chance for a better future is just in front of you.
Here and now.
But isn’t it that we want better because the present sucks? Don’t we want something else because what there is, is not good enough for us? These are all valid questions, and they have their place.
If we want what there is to change in the best way possible, there’s only one starting point, and it’s your best bet for getting to where you want to go.
“If you accept your reality, you’ll feel more firmly grounded in it. You’ll be where you are and have a much better chance of getting where you want to go.” Brad Stulberg, from the book – The Practice of Groundedness.
The present of the present
We all know the present is a present. Well, not if you are in trouble or suffering from pain, discomfort, or depression, right? Wrong. Whatever your present looks like – the best and most effective way to deal with it is to acknowledge it. Look it straight in the eyes for precisely what it is.
See if you can relate to this:
* You cannot treat a disease if you don’t recognize you’re sick
* It’s not possible to improve your grade in an exam if you don’t recognize that you failed and need help
* There’s no solving a legal mess if you don’t look deep into its ugly details, find the solution, and get the right help for the specific problem at hand.
Your best bet in building a better future for yourself is first to recognize where you are standing clearly. How it affects you emotionally or physically, and be with the problem before attempting to solve it. The better you get acquainted with the issue, the easier it will be for you to find the best solution.
The responsibility of building a better future
Then, when you see what you don’t want, you can deduct what you want; it’s right at the other end of that stick or the other side of the coin. Try it as a game, it’s fun, search for what you don’t want – look at it, think about what you don’t like about it, and then turn it around – what would you prefer instead?