I believe the future is not about predicting outcomes but strengthening our adaptability to solve future unknowns.

It is about adapting our stories to deal with the unknown. Therefore, the stories on our playlist are what matters because we are all made up of stories.

The playlist

In just about everything we do, and I really cannot think of an exception, all parts of us are involved. By this I mean our intention, thinking, beliefs and emotions play a key part in the choices we make and actions we take.

A large part of these aspects of ourselves get their source from our stories. The stories we tell ourselves are based on our experiences and knowledge both taught and learned. Some are based on our beliefs and facts whilst some are made up to help us get through certain moments.

These are the stories that make up our playlist.

The self-stories

At the age of 13, I flew by myself from Kano, Nigeria to London Gatwick and found my way to my uncle’s house north of London. I was living in Nigeria at that time as my father was transferred there for his work assignment.

My flight arrived just before 5.00 am into Gatwick Airport. At 5.30 am I was at the platform of the airport train station taking a train to London where I then connected to another service to get to my uncle’s house.

It would become a significant moment in my development.

It was my school holidays and I do not quite remember how but my parents suggested that I could spend my holidays in England.

I accepted gladly and I forget the exact conversation, but my father also mentioned that I would travel by myself and make my own way to my uncle’s house.

Reflecting on that moment I think I was momentarily taken aback but rose to the occasion. Up until that point I had always travelled with family or friends.

I was taken aback. Although a little terrified (about my journey), I was most honoured that my parents had the confidence and trust in me to make this trip on my own. They empowered me with this small (huge for me) gesture. It was my rite of passage.

That moment would become a milestone in the development of my self-stories. My self-confidence, self-esteem, self-awareness, and my outer awareness (of the world around me) that I continue to bring with me today.

The top picks

I got to my uncle’s house safe and sound and all my self-parts (confidence, esteem, etc) were elated. My horizon opened and I realised I could fly solo with confidence in the future. The trip was not all smooth sailing, but I got to my destination.

It became the story I would tell myself when I faced something new. And my story evolved with time as I added other experiences and knowledge to it. It became an integral part of me.

Just as your stories are an integral part of you. And the voice in your head that constantly chats to you, you know, the one reading this article now gathers its narrative from these stories.

And how we show up in the world is based on the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, and they become our top picks.

But these stories are not made up of just stories of success, confidence, and esteem-building experiences. Some of the stories I tell myself are from experiences that were not so positive.

But the narrative that I replay later are (positive) adaptations of the original story. After I have discerned and distilled learnings from it to help me in the future. This is my choice.

Future-proof your playlist

As you can probably tell, our stories play a vital role in the actions we take. They impact our future intentions, words, thoughts, emotions, and more.

Sometimes certain stories do not play a helpful role and therefore do not help us move forward. We intuitively know which stories these are but do not address them and unfortunately, the voice in our head is happy to keep playing them especially if they are top picks.

Both good and not-so-good stories are of value to us as they all teach us something and unfortunately, they are all on our playlist too.

But to future-proof yourself is to refine your playlist. You need to review the stories on your playlist. The great thing is these are your stories, and you can do more than just review them. You have the intellectual property rights to them so you can edit, append, or delete them altogether from your playlist as you wish.

You have ultimate control and power to adapt your stories to navigate your future with clarity and confidence.

I will leave you with a quote from Epictetus, “Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problem”

So, what’s on your stories playlist? Let me know at yoga@yoganesadurai.com