Recently, my husband and I decided to show our three daughters (ages 9, 6, and 3) the classic movie Back to the Future. Of course, my kids were immediately enthralled, but my youngest had a few key questions like, Mommy, what is the future? And what is the present? (pause) And what is plutonium? I dutifully and patiently answered each question and totally thought that she was tracking with me. However, at the end of the movie, she whispered earnestly into my ear, Mommy, did they get the present? And I realized that the whole time she had been waiting for some epic gift reveal. I tried to explain that getting back to the present was the present, but I think I might have lost her on that one.
The next day, we launched into Back to the Future II where Michael J. Fox gets a preview of his life in the future (aka 2015). Interestingly, 10 of the futuristic inventions have now become reality. Was the movie ahead of its time, or did the movie inspire inventors to create hoverboards and self-tightening shoe to fulfill the vision?
In the process of writing my upcoming book The Future of Happiness, I have spent quite a bit of time contemplating the future, and what I’ve discovered is that the future depends very much on the present. The attitudes and habits that we practice today will shape the world that we live in personally and collectively in the future. If this sounds a bit master-of-our-own-fate, that’s because it is. Happiness is a choice, and it’s one with far-reaching consequences for our careers, our families and our health.
So how do we set our future on the right course? You’ll have to read my book to find out! Sign up for my mailing list to get the latest information about the book release and even a few spoilers along the way. I look forward to joining you on the journey!
This article is from Amy Blankson’s blog, Happy Tech.
Amy Blankson is the only person to be named a Point of Light by two Presidents (President Bush and President Clinton). In 2007, Amy co-founded GoodThink to bring the science of happiness to life for organizations and individuals. She is currently doing research in partnership with Google to determine how to make positive psychology strategies stick and create sustainable positive change. Amy is the author of the award-winning children’s book Ripple’s Effect and The Future of Happiness to be released Spring 2017.
