I was getting my car worked on, and I overheard a few workers talking as they returned from lunch. One of them, let’s call him Jim, shared something he was planning to do, another worker will say. Steve asked him. What are you going to do about your wife? 

Jim responded. That’s future Jim’s problem. 

Three Jims Walked into A Room

It’s an interesting concept. Jim believed there would be a future Jim. He could have said, “I’ll burn (or cross) that bridge when I come to it,” but more accurately realized that at some point in the future, something not too good was going to happen, but that was in the future. 

If there’s a future Jim, there would be a past Jim. To complete the picture, there would also be a present Jim. Of course, the present Jim hasn’t been around for very long. Past Jim has a very long history, and we don’t really know that much about future Jim. 

Present Jim is perhaps the most important Jim, bringing both past Jim and future Jim together. Present Jim has to contend with all the dumb and bad decisions past Jim made. Present Jim also has the role of helping out the Jim who will exist in the future.

At some point, future Jim will either be grateful to past Jim or angry at him. Both cases are in the hands of the only Jim that can do anything. 

The Three Yous

You’ve probably realized by now that Jim isn’t the only one with a past and future self. We all have them. 

The only thing that we can do is what we can do now. What we did is in the past, and what we will do has not yet been determined. It’s only now that we can do anything.

I’ve heard that we overestimate what we can do in a day but underestimate what we can do in a year. When we forget this, we try to do everything, forgetting that life isn’t a sprint but a marathon quote. We may also decide not to do anything because we can’t do everything.

Future Possibilities

What can we do? That’s the question. What’s the gift you can give to Future You?

What would happen if you built a foundation of spiritual growth? You don’t have to do everything today, but if Future You is going to be able to thank you for the gift of spiritual flourishing, present you will have to do it. It’s too late for past you and future you, well, I don’t know that they’ll ever get around to it. 

What would it feel like to look back at your past self with thanks and gratitude for the time and commitment you made to build a beautiful spiritual foundation that brings hope, peace, love, and joy? 

As the Chinese proverb states, “When is the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. When’s the second best time today? Today.” 

So, present self, yes, I’m talking to your present self. Get to it. Your future self will thank you.