THE ANTICIPATING SELF

 

 

By now you will have some appreciation of the memoried self and the experiencing self and how they relate to one another. The anticipating self is the third key character in this trilogy. Like the memoried self it can either enable or hinder, inspire or conspire against you. This is determined by how you relate to this part of the self. The more you are a student of personal growth and examine all the options for self improvement and personal empowerment the more you discover that if there is a secret to achieving your potential then it is indeed synergy, (the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.) It is when all three aspects of awareness are intimately intertwined that you are able to get the best out of each moment. This is because the experiencing self is able to positively exploit the assets of the other two. It is neither a slave to the past nor afraid of the future.

 

The anticipating self, as the name suggests, is that part of us that speculates about what lies ahead. As previously stated, it can anticipate the worst or the best and when our issues have not been addressed or appropriately resolved then it has a propensity to use the past to determine the future. This can of course be positive if there is enough positive material to draw from but in far too many instances this is simply not the case and a negative response is generated. If the anticipating self were acting in accordance with our true nature rather than using the past as its primary reference then we would actually be optimistic, joyous and ecstatic as we marvel at the wonder of life.

 

When we are not properly aligned to the memoried self we downgrade the magnificent into the ordinary. We are blinded in such a way that we are unable to see life’s splendour and its bountiful treasures. This is why the mind then anticipates worst-case scenarios. It moves away from peace, contentment and joy and is pulled into conflict, confusion and chaos. It sees the worst in itself and in others and it prepares to compete rather than co-operate. Does any of this sound familiar?

 

This is the modern day template; a position where we have come to respect competition over co-operation, accepting the negative consequences of competition as a necessary part of progress…. consequences worthy of the prize. This is why for many the anticipating self is not a safe haven, nor a place of hope, aspiration, bliss or rejoicing… it is a place of an underlying, nagging anxiety, a place where fear and doubt cast their many shadows. And so the spirit of competition with all its needs and demands has fostered for many uncertainty, tension and fear, which makes the chance of a better tomorrow seem at best unlikely. This is the pattern we need to break. This mythical position has asserted itself as fact in such a way that it’s difficult for most to believe that positive change is actually only ever one thought away.

 

Claiming the gifts of awareness does not belong to a fortunate few. It is yours to claim today. The need for practice has already been stressed but it cannot be stressed enough. This is not something that’s going to fall into your lap. You have to choose to do something about it and once you do you have to regularly dedicate time and energy to this endeavour. The anticipating self is rich with opportunity, bursting with potential. Like the experiencing self, it’s a place of infinite possibility. If you’re dissatisfied with the way that your life currently is and you feel trapped by feelings of low self worth, crippled by anxiety or panic, doubting that your life can be any different, then by connecting to the experiencing self and using the assets of the anticipating self, you can change your reality…. Today.

 

Change is a process, not an event and so every time you take a step in the right direction you are a little closer to where you want to be. It’s unlikely that one single event will bring you the change you want, but if you join up the dots between lots of little positive activities then before you know it you can feel much better about yourself and create a position where hope and wonder sit comfortably side by side.

 

 

Here’s an example of the alliance you can forge between the experiencing self and the anticipating self.

I become aware of my breathing…. I notice every in-breath and every out-breath… I quietly appreciate that this beautiful simple act performed thousands of times per day is keeping me alive and offers me the opportunity for greater understanding and continued growth…. How amazing…. it’s so easy to take this for granted…. I give thanks for the gift of breathing…. and all that it offers me…. Through the increased awareness of my breathing I become more aware of this moment I’m sitting in…. I notice the many thoughts seeking my attention…. I notice how it feels to be in my body…. I become aware of my relationship to this time and space and my environment…. Right now this moment asks nothing of me and I ask nothing of it.… I’m content with just being…. It’s wonderful to just be…. I’m reminded that I can positively influence events by the way that I think and I choose to see an ever-evolving me stepping into a positive and certain future…. a future where my reason for being is ever clearer and I have all that I need to fulfil my meaning and purpose…. I attract the right relationships and resources.… and this support helps me to make the best decisions and choices…. I find myself being ever more open and receptive to life’s ups and downs and so am able to make the best of the opportunities that present themselves to me.… My life is filled with kindness, compassion and charity…. It’s a life of health, abundance and wellbeing…. I have all that I need…. I’ve come to understand that if I anticipate the best it won’t be very far away…. And so I do…. I choose to be present in this moment and to remain completely open to a life that blossoms, presenting me with advantages, peace and joy…. I am at one with life’s wonder and I give thanks for the joy of that…. I now know that my thoughts are the primary architects of my future, so I choose those thoughts that best reflect my highest aspirations….

 

The anticipating self is not where we are meant to be but it is inevitable that consciousness will travel both backwards and forwards. In fact it’s necessary if we are to exploit all the benefits of being alive. Consciousness is not a static force. It ebbs and flows. It’s a force of movement and change and we can either be bound by it or liberated in ways that we couldn’t have anticipated. Hopefully now when your consciousness moves out of this moment into the next it will do so without fear and doubt. It will dare to appreciate that you do have the deciding vote in your life. So why choose to keep going with the old and familiar when you can move towards the new and unchartered? Anticipate the worst and it won’t be very far way. Dare to think the best and in time it will be yours. Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy…. write the prophecy of your own choosing today.

 

 


Also see: The Memoried Self and The Experiencing Self