Our Desire To See The Future

[00:00:02] Welcome to Business Finance and Soul, my name is Shaun Enders, and I'm a curious entrepreneur. I love exploring business, personal finance and consciousness. I'll jump around topics, offer my opinions, and occasionally interviewing interesting people. Looking forward and going on this journey. Let's be curious together!

[00:00:22] Welcome back to Business Finance and Soul, I am Shaun Enders, and I'm going to thank you. I'm looking forward to being here, thank you for listening, participating, leaving feedback, sharing the show. If you've done that, I really want to say thank you.

[00:00:42] The show continues to gain popularity and I'm really enjoying this. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and let's start with a question. I want to know if you've ever been interested or if you were currently interested in knowing the future.

[00:01:00] I think the answer is yes, obviously that's a rhetorical question, but the answer is yes because you're human. As humans, we have this desire to see around the corner. It's intrinsic desire to know what the future holds.

[00:01:22] It's really rooted in our need to be prepared and to feel safe. Because the unknown can be very intimidating to us. It creates anxiety, it creates fear. As humans we have this deep grave of certainty because that provides more of that sense of control,

[00:01:48] and it gives us comfort. This is one of the reasons there are so many financial articles out there, how much do Americans have saved in their 401k? Are you prepared for a financial collapse? Do you have money for the future?

[00:02:04] These are all the reasons that attracted me to the financial independence movement. It really what attracted me was probably my own fear and insecurities. I would project into the future those fears.

[00:02:22] Turns out those are healthy fears, but they can turn out to be unhealthy in a murid different ways. Not only financial, but for physical safety too, wanting to see around it corner, what's there, what's lurking?

[00:02:38] I wanted to explore that today because there is a lot to unpack here when we think about life, when we think about all of the bumper sticker philosophy of enjoy the moment. All of that is relevant because of the way that we project into the future.

[00:03:02] Because we want to know, we want to gain some type of certainty to our life. As I look a little bit more into that desire, I think the whole point of this journey is not knowing.

[00:03:20] And I think that if you knew the future, it wouldn't be as beneficial as it seems at face value. If we rewind, and we look back to ancient prophets, all the way back to like Nostradamus days or oracles or modern day psychics and futureists,

[00:03:42] we've always sought ways to predict the future. Now this isn't a podcast on whether or not that's real or not. I mean, clearly there's evidence of individuals that have somehow figured out portions are parts of future events. And so I don't know what that is.

[00:04:03] I don't claim to understand that supernatural gift that some people have. There's obviously been a lot of individuals that take advantage of that and preyed on that. There's there is probably a small percentage of here individuals that know.

[00:04:22] Not exactly what the future will hold but they have events that they're getting glimpses of. I don't know what that is, but I do know that we want it.

[00:04:32] And I believe that that quest is driven by the hope that really that foresight will enable us as humans to avoid. Dangerous. It also creates opportunities for us to really seize a moment. If we knew something was going to happen, weed sees the opportunity.

[00:04:56] If we knew the investment that we were about to make was certainly going to pay off. We'd put more money into the pot. We wouldn't have that fear. We wouldn't have that hesitation. So of course we want to seize opportunities and we want to avoid danger.

[00:05:09] We don't want to lose money. We don't want to turn down the wrong corner and not know what's going to happen to us and get hurt or worse. So in essence, we believe as humans that knowing what lies ahead can help us navigate life more effectively.

[00:05:27] It's in it's in our hard work. And the brain's are there and wired to anticipate and plan. That's what we do. And the ability has been crucial for our survival because it does allow us to prepare for a variety of scenarios.

[00:05:47] You're because the predictability reduces uncertainty, which in turn reduces stress. So it is very clear and cut that the more that we know the safer and more in control that we feel. So we have that fear of the unknown. And that's what I want to talk about.

[00:06:06] I want to talk about, you know, the fear of the unknown. I want to talk about the paradox of knowing. And then we're going to get beyond that. But I think the fear of the unknown, you know, the unknown. It's often synonymous with danger in our minds.

[00:06:23] I think if you look a lot of movies. The future really can sell big when it has a dystopian twist to it. So that shows us that we feel danger. We always look at something and then we project out the worst that it can be.

[00:06:43] You know, it represents a potential threat that we can't prepare for. And if we feel vulnerable and we can't prepare for it, we can't wrap our heads around it. The fear can be overwhelming and it really then pushes many of us to kind of find the certainty.

[00:07:00] I mean, there is no certainty, but that's what we're looking to aim for. We're like, hey, we definitely need to get to a safe spot. And in this context, the desire to know the future. It becomes more of a coping mechanism.

[00:07:15] And it's kind of way to mitigate the anxiety associated with uncertainty. And this is ubiquitous. This is for your loved ones and your neighbors and the people you don't know. Everyone falls into this category. Now, some navigate it. It's here. You know, some.

[00:07:38] And it really seemed to thrive in the uncertainty. People who put themselves in big high-risk scenarios. They're like, they've rewired themselves. And maybe their programming was just different from the start, but they have figured out a way to thrive in the uncertainty and find joy in it.

[00:08:01] So you know, see it is as fear and dangerous all the time. They probably know and they probably might feel it, but they have an exercise in how they get around that. The paradox of knowing, you know, it's understandable to want to know the future.

[00:08:15] But it raises a huge question for me. Would knowing the future truly be beneficial? This question has been asked before. I'm not the first one to think of it, but I love to highlight things that come to mind.

[00:08:29] And, you know, I'm in a scenario right now where I've got big life decisions. Cool stuff going on. I kind of want to peek around the corner because I have two paths that I get to choose right now.

[00:08:45] I'm not going to share, you know, what I'm going through currently. I will in a couple months. But I would like to know, Path A, what would it be like? I would like to know, you know, should I stay the course on what I'm doing or change directions?

[00:09:06] Now this isn't professionally. So I'm not going to go down that path. But there's some cool things that are happening in life in my personal life. And so it's like, okay, we go this way. What will it be like? I want to know it's so tantalizing.

[00:09:22] But I know that the answer is probably not a straightforward as I'd like to think. Because I think of life a bit like a game. And I don't think I don't take that lightly, okay?

[00:09:35] So if you are associating game with me believing that life is kind of this playlist and Devar couldn't be further from the truth, I'm thinking of it in terms of a set up. So if we're down here on Earth in physical form for a reason.

[00:09:55] And I don't believe that reason is just to find a way to relax and chill. I find it that, you know, this physical form is a school of sorts. And so our creator, God, if that energy of God wanted us to learn something while we're here,

[00:10:13] life can become a bit of a game or a journey. But what I realize is that the game is no fun. If you already know the ending, you know, I had reported Wimbledon because it started at 6am on Sunday, The Men's Finals this last Sunday.

[00:10:32] And it's Carlos Alvarez versus Joe Kovic and it's going to be an amazing matchup. And I had to make sure that I did not watch any of the news or hit any sports apps or anything like that

[00:10:47] because I already knew if I knew the ending, then the whole, the whole weight of watching those sets would be tarnished. I could still watch it because I appreciate their athleticism. But you know, it kind of takes away from the experience and the drama, right?

[00:11:10] Because the essence of the journey, it really lies in the surprises, the challenges, the unexpected turns. And those are what sheep are in tire experience. And so if I look at that just as, you know, any game that you, that you play or watch,

[00:11:27] if you already know what's going to happen, it's not much fun. I remember being a kid and it's like you just assumed that Mike Tyson was going to knock everybody out because it had just been happening time and time and time and time and time and yet.

[00:11:41] So this guy was unstoppable and, um, Buster Douglas changed that. And that uncertainty is the point of life, right? Like that whole like what I thought this was just guaranteed. And that's the reason you watch things because at any point in life,

[00:12:02] the certain bet turns out to be not a certain bet. And the flavor is in that uncertainty. But if you look at it in terms of from a fear perspective, you know, that it's very distasteful.

[00:12:17] But if you look at light of where you embrace the twists and turns, both in your own life and others, then it becomes exciting. So, a marginal life where every twist and turn is pre-ordained and known,

[00:12:36] I can guarantee the thrill of discovery that excitement of like taking a risk or the joy of unexpected success. That would all vanish. You essentially you'd be robbed of the very experiences that make life vibrant and meaningful. And this is really the double-edged sword.

[00:12:57] This is where everything is a benefit and a hindrance. It is the polarity of life. You know, it really is the sun in the moon and, you know, the essence of day and night. Everything has to balance itself in that space.

[00:13:19] And if it was pre-ordained or you knew the outcomes and you could see around every corner, life wouldn't be balanced. You know, you would just, you would just know and you'd probably be fairly bored after a little while. There'd be nothing exciting. You'd know what's going to happen.

[00:13:36] Maybe that's going to be a good life for you. Maybe it's going to be a bad life for you. Whatever it's going to be, but you would already know. So, you can strip away all of the, all of the texture of life.

[00:13:50] And they, they're in lies what we, what we were talking about about, you know, bumper sticker wisdom, which is the value of the journey. And it's been talked about. We all know to be in this moment and everything else.

[00:14:06] But beyond that, the moments are what offer life's unpredictability. It's what gives us that depth and richness. And it's the uncertainty that compels us to grow and adapt and evolve. And it really allows us to face the unknown with a different sense of resilience and resourcefulness.

[00:14:28] And I'm hoping that this conversation helps you if you're in a moment of where you'd like to look around the corner. You know, if you want to just, it was so frustrating to be in this, this moment of uncertainty. This big thing is about to happen.

[00:14:44] But I've got this big decision. Why, why can't somebody else just make it for me? You know, well, maybe it's already been made for you. Maybe it's already predestined, but you won't know it. And so, therein lies the opportunity, the excitement to be forced to confront your fear.

[00:15:07] And in doing so, discover your strength. Check out, uh, on just of Campbell's The Heroes Journey. I think that not knowing the future also helps us open up to possibilities. It does allow us to dream.

[00:15:23] You know, there's a direct line there to dream to hope to strive for something better. You know, and it's that sense of possibility that fuels our ambitions and it drives us to really achieve great things as a species.

[00:15:40] And without the unknown, there really would be no room for innovation or creativity. You just wouldn't do it. You don't need to. Everything is known. Everything is unfolding. And although that would be cool and maybe in another lifetime, somewhere else, in some other existence, that happens.

[00:15:56] And we experience it in that way. But here, it is about embracing uncertainty. And instead of fearing the unknown, just really saying, hey, since we know it's a journey, we know that the journey is where the magic happens.

[00:16:14] We know each moment of uncertainty is an opportunity to learn and grow and experience the world in all of its complexity. By accepting that we don't know everything, you're going to free yourself from the burden of worry. And allow yourself to live more fully in the present.

[00:16:36] Because you'll become more adaptable, more open-minded and appreciative of just the unfolding itself, even when it's not cool. You know, I've had a few bumps along the way on developing a business over two decades and with transition staffing group, there's been times where it's just great.

[00:16:58] And there's been other times where you're like, what the heck am I doing? But I'm learning each time I lean in, I'm growing. And so I've got to be appreciative of that journey. And if you're not and you're not liking the journey itself, you've got to change course.

[00:17:17] That's the key. That's the juice in life. If you don't like your own journey, get out of it. Change your reality. But if you dig the journey, but you're also tied to the outcome. Of course, running a company is like, I guess I like the day-to-day,

[00:17:34] but man, it sure would be great. Are we going to be highly profitable in the quarter? It would be great to know that. But I know that's not possible. With the good, comes to bad. So as we wrap it up, you know,

[00:17:49] it's good to recognize that it's bigger than us. It's a natural human inclination told me, I want to see around the corner. You know, it's good to know that it is part of our hard wiring to fear, be unknown and to really embrace the fact that you know,

[00:18:13] on a macro level that you are in good company with that as a very prime of fear. But you have that opportunity to understand that the uncertainties, what gives life its flavor and makes the journey exciting and fulfilling.

[00:18:36] So I just want to cherish the unpredictability of life and find joy and adventure in the unknown. And I want you to also. Enjoy, stay curious as always, and until next time, have a great time discovering.