A forward-thinking new approach to creating a life of fulfillment
For most of the last 100 years, psychology (and, in particular, Freudian psychology) has conditioned us to think that we are “driven by the past.” We have come to believe that who we are is defined by the experiences we have had previously: from childhood, past relationships, traumas experienced and lessons learned.
But new fields of psychology such as positive psychology and its lesser known offshoot prospective psychology (both the brain-children of Martin Seligman of University of Pennsylvania) are exploring the idea that we are not so much “driven by the past” as “pulled by the future.” Actually, what makes us uniquely human is our ability to imagine and predict future outcomes and make decisions based on the kind of future we are trying to create.
As an example of this shift in scientific thinking, a group of scientists and scholars recently compiled a series of papers that bring together “scientific, secular and sacred perspectives” on the phenomenon of “Being Called.” (Being Called is edited by Yaden, McCall and Ellens, 2015.) Why do some people experience visions, messages or epiphanies that seem to draw them along a particular path? How do people find their “calling”?
Callings are more prevalent than we might think, with around 40 percent of people feeling “called” either to a specific work orientation or to a more transcendent purpose. These callings, when fulfilled, are good for both the individual and society. For individuals, they instill a sense of satisfaction, engagement and purpose that makes life worth living. And for society, they draw forth positive efforts and results for the organizations or other elements of the community upon which the individuals feel called to serve.
Clearly, those who do feel “called,” would say that they feel pulled by the future more than they feel pushed by the past. And as science explores these experiences, we gain a better understanding of how the pull of the future can override the “baggage” from our past.
To think about your own relationship with the future, consider the following questions:
How optimistic are you? Having beliefs about a positive future energizes us, motivating us to take the steps necessary to bring that positive vision to life.
How solution-focused are you? We tend to spend a lot of our time trying to analyze and “fix” the problems in our lives. A more prospective approach is to ignore the challenges that brought you to where you are today and focus on the future state you are trying to create. Some people say these solution-focused approaches are more effective for creating positive change.
Who is your best self? When we think about our past selves, we are inclined to analyze our flaws, our weaknesses and the mistakes we have made. When we look into the future, we can imagine a future version of ourselves that is better than we have been in the past. We can imagine our “best self.” This kind of thinking sets us on a path to make the decisions, develop the strengths and hold on to the values that will help our best selves to come forth.
There is something very comforting about these ideas of prospective psychology. They give us the sense that we are not hurtling along with an inescapable momentum that was created by things that have happened previously. We are not shackled by our past. We have the option, at any moment, to overcome the mistakes and circumstances of our past to create a new trajectory, and move toward a new future vision. The future is calling. We just have to be ready to heed the call.