My future self.

January 31, 2025

My future self.

I was first introduced to the idea of my future self by Sam Harris through his Waking Up app. Who is my future self? Leaving aside the question of future existence, he’s the guy who will have to deal with the consequences of any choices I make today. If I choose to drink too much alcohol tonight then my future self will have to handle the effects of that choice tomorrow. I don’t do hangovers, so that one’s an easy choice. Looking back over my life at some of the choices I have made, I realise I wasn’t always as kind to my future self as I could have been. Among the many benefits I have gained from paying more attention to my life, being kinder to my future self is the gift that keeps giving. It has slowly but surely released the manacles of impulsivity and indecision, and at the same time increased my self care. Just giving myself the space to consider how my future self will be affected by my choices has made for wiser choices.

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Meditation

About Me

I have what some might consider an unusual c.v. I was an early school leaver, dropping out with no secondary education. I served in the military for over 20 years before deciding to move on and try my hand working in civvy street for a while. I then opted to return to full time education for four years and got a degree in the social sciences. I worked as a project worker in a community based organisation for twelve years before retiring from that post. Now, because I have the most precious thing of all – time, I can be a scholar. You may have heard of the term a ‘scholar and gentleman’, which referred to a person with a private income who could afford to be a scholar. Such a person could afford to study whatever took his or her fancy, most often the humanities though. I have many interests, but I am passionate about the human mind, particularly the differing perspectives of mind held by eastern and western philosophy. I am fascinated by how science is now confirming many of the ideas that were outlined thousands of years ago. I also own a 8″ Dobsonian telescope, I feed the birds daily, enjoy stillness, silence, qigong, tai chi, a good laugh, my family, my friends, reading and the leisurely pursuit of wisdom and knowledge.