The point is that you can balance your conversations about the past,
         , and future. And when you are in a conversation about the future, devote most of that conversation to creation. Instead of worrying  the future or predicting the future based on current trends, star  the trends. Write, speak, and think about the future you want,
           For most of us, balancing our conversation space means making a   effort to dwell more in the future.  Speak about the future. Consider adopting a goal: When I am with people,
                           I will assist them to speak about the future. We can meet this goal in many   ways. One is to set an example—to model the possibility by speaking about   the future ourselves. Another strategy is to shift conversations into the  future: “For the last hour, we’ve focused mainly on the past. Can we shift   gears for a while and talk about the future instead?”
        
                           Write about the future. It’s almost impossible to think about the past while
                           writing about the future. When you write, your thoughts can trail your pen  to the future.
        
                           Immerse yourself in the future. Since many conversations are dominated  by the past, you can usefully go overboard in speaking about the future.
                           During the next 24 hours, for example, you focus most or all of you   conversations on the future.
        
                           Describe your distractions. When you find yourself distracted wit  thoughts about the past or worries about the future, write each thou   or concern on a 3x5 card. Perhaps you’re filled with regret about a mistake you made. Describe that mistake on a card. Perhaps you’re  worried about an upcoming task. Write that task down. In    summary, use cards to capture the distracting conversation  you’re having with yourself at any given moment. Doing this    can help you refocus on the conversation of your choice.
        
                            Handle your distractions. Once you’ve described your
                           distraction on a card, you have several options for what to do next. One option is to file the card away and handle
                           the matter later. You can also destroy the card; this works   well with thoughts you don’t want—worries, regrets,
                           resentments, and so on. Another option is to flip the card  over and write an action plan: Describe, step-by-step, how
                           you will handle the distraction or complete the unfinishe  task. Or read your card to someone else. See if your
                           distraction goes away when you report it.

 

 

spiritual exercise #2