Tim Urban draws pictures that help him understand the world. In one of themHe shows a gray line, the vertical line, “today,” separating the past from the future In the past, there are a lot of black, blurry lines. These are all life paths we haven’t taken, says Tim. Then, there is one – only one – Green line: the path we have actually Took to get today.
The future, however, looks very different. No black path yet. After all, the future is not yet decided. It is, instead, full of possibilities. Wanderings, forks, green lines full of divides — all paths in life that we can eventually take. Of course, in the end, as before, only one line will be really green. The rest will turn to black ash, just like all the other undesirable life paths of our past.
Urban thinks we should think more about the green line, less about the black. The future is where we are going, the past is not something we can do nothing about. but If I’m honestI get more giddy from the green spark of possibility than I get from seeing unpaved road tarmac. Actually, I would prefer to contrast the colors. What lies ahead looks like an endless maze, while what lies behind is given up and can be done rest in peace.
Really peaceful. That’s how deliberately blocked life paths seem to me. The future with it all Endless choice? It rarely does for me – especially because I know that most of these new paths aren’t the right ones to begin with.
What do you struggle with more? Pick a lane Or the lane you chose with love? Are your future paths green, your pasts black, or vice versa? I can imagine that we all struggle with both from time to time, but there seems to be a natural tendency towards one more than the other. The difference is worth knowing. If future prospects outweigh past losses, you need more simplicity than diversification. A person with the opposite tendency, meanwhile, may want to Add iceColor, or any other form of openness in their lives.
Knowing yourself today is the best antidote against both tomorrow and yesterday – and it’s a cup to drink, no matter what path you’re on.
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This post has been previously published Niklas Gok’s blog
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