Your Future is Not in Your Hands; Your Habit Decides!

Responsible adults often share a sobering and corrective statement with everyone in their formative years. They say, “Your future is in your hands.” This is especially true for those who demonstrate by their attitudes and behaviour that they care less about what their future will become. 

Students who behave in a way that suggests outstanding performance is unattractive to them will be reminded that their future is in their hands. Teenagers with a high affinity for frivolity and hedonism will also be reminded that their future is in their hands, and they can make or break it. 

Sometimes it gets so bad and these statements can be a demonstration that parents or guardians have given up on you. They could be leaving you to your own devices.

When you hear words like, “We have done our best to provide you with education in desperate attempts to insure your future against ignorance and pauperism, but you have constantly demonstrated that none of these means anything to your sorry self. Henceforth, we would like you to know that your future is in your hands and it is up to you to decide the kind of a person you want to become!”

Others draw meticulous plans for the kind of people they want to be in the future. Great dads, supportive and interesting wives, top-tier CEOs, meticulous staff etc.

But is this how life works?

In My Lens

I am writing this article under the hypothesis that can be summarised by the sobering words of Frederick Matthias Alexander (20 January 1869 – 10 October 1955), a sagacious Australian author and actor:

“People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their future.”  

—F. M. Alexander.

You can never read such a thought and just go on reading as if nothing happened. You have to pause for effect and think through it. We have been imagining that we are in control and can decide what our future will be like. We all are keen to hope for and plan a great future. Unfortunately, life does not work like that.

Every student plans their future how they will graduate magna or summa cum laude and give the valedictorian speech.

However, the possibility of this is usually determined by their academic habits. How do you study? Do you visit the library? Do you attend your lecturers with a scholarly demeanour and teachable attitude? Your academic habits decide!

Do you want to keep fit and acquire a summer body?

Everyone wants this including the obese and the extra large. But the possibility of this is usually decided by your nutrition and fitness habits. How many meals do you do in a day? Are you the sweet tooth who is ever gobbling a snack every time you pass by the fridge or the kitchen? What about your fitness routine? Do you do it as required for top-grade fitness or only when motivated? You don’t decide your fitness and weight, your nutrition and fitness habits decide!

Everyone wants top-notch people skills, especially in close relationships like family and love life. These skills are crucial when we are part of a team where we must excel. Yet again our habits are in charge here. Do we engage well with people? How about our conflict resolution techniques? Do we communicate effectively when satisfied and when disappointed? What about our listening and speaking habits? 

What about spiritual fitness?

How many of you are impressed by the stellar tracks of Patriarchs and prophets of old who walked with God? How many admire and wish to have the conviction and fidelity of Daniel and his three friends? They were brought face to face with the tempting sounds and dazzling sights in the Babylonian Royal Court. How many of us wish to live a life of perfect obedience? How many desire perpetual obedience like God’s faithful children over the years? How many of us wish to have a ready Bible quotation to help in our time of need? 

To all grappling with Spiritual Malnutrition, on that, you can hinge your spiritual dwarfness and failures. You are attempting to gain spiritual fitness while living on bread alone. Should you be surprised when things do not work?

You do not decide your spiritual fitness, your study and prayer habits decide!

Conclusion

As you go about trying to ensure a better future, just remember the future is not and can never be in your hands. Only your habits which are based on your current decisions and attitudes are in your hands. You can only decide your future by deciding your habits because your habits cumulatively will decide your future.