It's really not that respectful to the universe to anticipate ... it's like making a plan for your group without consulting anyone in the group or without thinking that consulting with them was necessary. The universe could be thinking ..."Really?" Again? I thought they were starting to catch on with that lesson? Haven't they figured out that we can't work together that way?"
Anticipate Not ... Examples in everyday life
- Thread starter Truthseeker101
- Start date
BlueKiwi
Jedi Master
Sometimes I think the amount of blatant signals being sent is almost humorous. It's like the universe is shouting "Can't you see yet ?"
That reminds me of
That reminds me of
skymargo
Jedi
I just use “anticipate not” in usual every day life by trying not to wish the result but just to enjoy the process, it can actually be applied like everywhere)) For example , we needed to buy a car. We knew which one we wanted but each time it turned out to be either too expensive for us or of bad quality. One time we almost set the deal but smbd had bought it right before we made a decision. We got tired of searching and decided to stop putting so much energy, time and nerves in it and just let it go. And very soon after it we found the car we dreamt of with good combination “price/quality”. So I believe the best way to keep in mind “anticipate not” is to be here and now.
ELT
Jedi Master
An example just happened to me.
I received an administrative message that I didn't open yet, from which I must get a certain answer.
My first train of thought have been that the response would be either A or B. In the case of thinking about A, I felt anxious because it would mean that I need to provide more infos, etc. (which isn't even the case yet). In the case of B, it was wishful thinking because I expected something beneficial would happen to me.
By standing back a second and reflecting on how I could approach my feelings, I realized that neither A nor B are right, and that, at the same time, they both are right + even more possibilities can happen as I didn't open the message yet.
The driving force of my first re-action has clearly been a disconnection from my present in an attempt to anticipate. So I brought myself back to the present, telling me that everything is still possible and that, in any ways, what will happen is for the best of the Whole, myself included. So let's wait and see, I will adapt.
At the same time I asked myself : "what is, right now, the possibility on which I can bring my Attention to, that reflects Love the most ?". I visualized myself in it as if I were living it, feeling it, and then reminded me once more that it will be for the best of everything, in any way.
I felt better and could move to something else, without worrying about the future anymore, reconnecting with was IS, present.
The bottom line is that everything started from a disconnection from the Present.
P.S: this brings me to a recent point I reformulated from a J.B. Peterson remark :
"So the idea in some sense is that the Direction of Attention towards possibility oriented towards Love, infused by Truth, produces the order that is habitable and good."
I received an administrative message that I didn't open yet, from which I must get a certain answer.
My first train of thought have been that the response would be either A or B. In the case of thinking about A, I felt anxious because it would mean that I need to provide more infos, etc. (which isn't even the case yet). In the case of B, it was wishful thinking because I expected something beneficial would happen to me.
By standing back a second and reflecting on how I could approach my feelings, I realized that neither A nor B are right, and that, at the same time, they both are right + even more possibilities can happen as I didn't open the message yet.
The driving force of my first re-action has clearly been a disconnection from my present in an attempt to anticipate. So I brought myself back to the present, telling me that everything is still possible and that, in any ways, what will happen is for the best of the Whole, myself included. So let's wait and see, I will adapt.
At the same time I asked myself : "what is, right now, the possibility on which I can bring my Attention to, that reflects Love the most ?". I visualized myself in it as if I were living it, feeling it, and then reminded me once more that it will be for the best of everything, in any way.
I felt better and could move to something else, without worrying about the future anymore, reconnecting with was IS, present.
The bottom line is that everything started from a disconnection from the Present.
P.S: this brings me to a recent point I reformulated from a J.B. Peterson remark :
"So the idea in some sense is that the Direction of Attention towards possibility oriented towards Love, infused by Truth, produces the order that is habitable and good."
The details about your thinking in your example were great. I like the connection you are making between anticipation and a disconnection from the present. Thank you. I find this very fascinating, helpful and relatable.
I also find it inspiring because I know that I am cutting myself off from the present as well with my thinking, and the feelings that oftentimes generate that thinking. I must observe the chaos for what it is and know that in so doing, I am choosing order as opposed to choosing avoidance/wishful thinking that the chaos doesn't exist.
BlueKiwi
Jedi Master
Thanks for this @ELT ! I find that these subtle definitions really help to grow a well-defined idea of anticipation in the context of what @Truthseeker101 was originally querying about (I think)
So I guess - If you are truly in the present / now then you simply can't anticipate, and to anticipate you must disconnect from now.
ELT
Jedi Master
I still have a question though.
I'm currently confused by the 2017 Jordan Peterson's lecture at the University of Toronto, where he states repeatedly that in order to move forward to success we necessarily need a goal, in order to have a direction.
Which I agree with as long as I don't try to manipulate how it will happen.
Until now, I assimilated non-anticipation with a non-goal orientation.
But is goal setting finally a necessary prerequisite for us to move forward as we're still living in a STS realm ?
I'm currently confused by the 2017 Jordan Peterson's lecture at the University of Toronto, where he states repeatedly that in order to move forward to success we necessarily need a goal, in order to have a direction.
Which I agree with as long as I don't try to manipulate how it will happen.
Until now, I assimilated non-anticipation with a non-goal orientation.
But is goal setting finally a necessary prerequisite for us to move forward as we're still living in a STS realm ?
Wandering Star
The Living Force
I agree with the above. A Goal is and can be similar to an intention that can lead one towards infusing more and more light within oneself ... and or growing one's consciousness through one's efforts.
One can have an intention while not being attached to that intention actually manifesting. If one trusts the process enough and is therefore unattached to any particular outcome, one can work very effectively in the "open" direction of their intentions. One can have a direction that one can work towards as long as one is willing to stay open and is therefore willing to throw that direction away once a better "direction" "New Intention" etc presents itself.
I just re read this and had a different take and felt I would share it in case it is helpful. I really appreciate the detail in the above description and feel like it is a good example of where many of us are in our process as we become more aware. I think paragraph one is a good example of the thinking behind not fully trusting the process ... and showing how that lack of trust pulls ELT out of the present moment. Anticipation is usually involved in fear and is usually not helpful. And yet anticipation can be enormously helpful when used correctly as in taking actions that will keep one out of harm's way as in always expecting attack. By getting hyper conscious about it, we are learning how to not let anticipation trip us up as well as how to use it to keep us out of trouble.
BlueKiwi
Jedi Master
Fear has been described as the most destructive emotion humans can have. I think fear would be the ultimate embodiment of anticipation of your personally believed worst outcome of a situation.
An excellent point, I think. There are times when we need to be able to anticipate, or approximate the outcome of a decision or situation and it certainly has it uses.
Nice !
Now I think we are getting to the more fine-grained aspects of Anticipation and when it's useful and when not
I'm not so sure about that. Fear can be a good thing. Fear of getting burned by fire keeps you from putting your hand in fire. Fear or being in an accident helps to make you be more careful. And, how can someone be courageous if there is no fear to overcome? Being courageous doesn't mean you don't fear anything, it means that in spite of your fear, you do what needs to be done to save someone else or whatever.
Also, psychopaths seem to have no fear, or, at least, not a lot of fear. Something to think about.
fwiw
Wandering Star
The Living Force
From my experience, that's completely accurate.
And above all, it is something that operates first in our minds and that can block us.
You anticipate it in your mind, but interestingly, once a person is in the "mess" the fear is gone.
Why?
Because once you start working on the situation there is no "time" for anything other than resolving the issue.
People who work in emergency call jobs (doctors, firefighters, police, etc...), soon "learn" not to anticipate.
Things never, never, never happen as our fears anticipate the situation.
By not anticipating, the problems they encounter upon arrival are solved much better.
