The best way to predict the future is to create it.

It’s Monday! A fresh week stretches before you, a canvas waiting for the masterpiece of your creation. We’re ditching the “blue Monday” vibes and embracing the potential that this new chapter holds, so let’s start with a little bit of fun first.

I LOVE Sweatpants and Coffee’s Monday Motivations, maybe I’ll include them more often at the start of every week.

This week I won’t be focusing on a single teacher’s work, but cast the net wide to include a good collection of wisdom:

“The best way to predict the future, is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln

What does this practically mean though? How is it that we create our future? How do we translate this grand idea into the nitty-gritty of our daily lives? How do we become the authors of our own futures, one Monday morning at a time?

“The future depends on what you do today.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“The future is completely open and we are writing it moment to moment.” – Pema Chödrön

So, how do we ensure our path leads where we truly want to go? 

The first step is profound yet simple – understanding how we recreate the past. We often fall into patterns, unconscious echoes of past experiences that dictate our reactions. These automatic responses are what keeps us stuck in a loop, hindering our progress. The crucial step? Awareness.

In every moment that an old programme, an old pattern, decides the action we take – we will continue to recreate the past. 

And in every moment that we recognize the old reaction and stop in order to choose a new response, we are breaking free from the past – we are creating a new future!

Your willingness to encounter every moment with awareness, breaking free from the compulsion to act in an old way and sincerely ask the question, “what does this moment require of me?”… THIS is how you are creating your future, moment-by-moment. 

Here are some thoughts for self-reflection in the week ahead of you:

  • Identify your patterns: Reflect on past situations. Were there recurring challenges or reactions? Understanding these patterns is the first step to breaking free.
  • Embrace awareness: Practice mindfulness throughout the day. Pause before reacting and choose your response consciously.
  • Set intentions: What do you want to achieve this week? Setting clear intentions helps guide your choices and keeps your future vision in focus.
  • Celebrate progress: Change takes time. Acknowledge your efforts, no matter how small, in shaping your future.

Remember, every Monday is a fresh start, an opportunity to rewrite your story. With awareness, intention, and a willingness to break free from the past, you can create a future that is truly yours. Make this Monday the beginning of your masterpiece!

– pierre –

Today’s LIVE meditation is: Jumpstart the week.