Your Future is Whatever You Make It

How many times this year have you seen comments on social media like “As if 2020 couldn’t get any worse…” or “Let’s just skip to 2021”? It’s definitely been a whirlwind of a year. But there’s something I can’t get out of my head in regards to 2020. 

“Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one.” --Doc Brown

I grew up on Back to the Future, one of my dad’s favorite movie series. This line from the end of the third film has been replaying in my head recently. My wife and I have had this conversation multiple times about 2020. It’s actually not too different from my feelings about New Year's resolutions in a way. 

Yeah we have lots of fun using memes and jokes to cope with a pandemic, with murder hornets, and with anything else we’ve had this year. But in the end, I think we start to believe them. Blaming an arbitrary cycle around the sun for our problems doesn’t help anyone. And nothing will change until we change.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not discrediting the fact that people have gotten sick, lost their jobs, or had other tragedies this year. But memes can only do so much to make life better. 

In Doc Brown’s final line, he explained to Jennifer that they were able to change Marty’s future, because their future was up to them to decide. Just like you don’t need to wait until January to make new “resolutions”, you don’t need to wait until 2021 to improve your life. 

Positive thinking only goes so far, but it’s a start. If you’re in a bind, ask for help. If you’re having a hard time, ask for support. I’ve been blessed this year to have my wife and my daughter to buoy me up and I know not everyone is so lucky. But no one is truly alone.

So take heart. The rest of 2020 is up to you. The rest of your life is up to you. Take a step in the right direction. As Anna sang in Frozen 2, “you must go on and do the next right thing” and as one of my favorite speakers famously said, “The future is as bright as your faith.” If things are going to get better, it's going to start with a choice to do something better.