This was written as an assignment for my grade 12 religion class, which I recently re-discovered. Interesting for me to read, to see how it aligns with that which I believe now, but likely boring as hell for others. Enjoy at your own risk.

Some people live for the present, others in the past. I prefer to live for the future. This is because I believe that the future holds huge amount of promise, both for humanity and for myself. In fact, I often cannot wait to see what amazing things will happen in the future.

Interestingly, I do not believe that someday in the future, all of the world’s problems will be solved. However, my outlook is nonetheless rather positive. Technological and medical advancements, along with more widespread education, are slowly but surely raising the standard of living throughout the world. Sometimes it may not seem this way, with millions dying every year of starvation, but if we look back in history, there is definitely an upward trend in people’s happiness with their lives. For example, every time a new cure is found and put into practice, hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of lives are saved. However, we must remember that these things can take time, and the one thing that the future has plenty of, is time.

Another aspect regarding the future that people have a philosophy about is whether or not to plan for it. Some people choose to organize every moment of their lives, from dawn until dusk. Others never plan a thing, and prefer to live on the wild side. I find myself on both ends of the spectrum, depending on what it is we are talking about. For example, I think it is important to plan education. As I apply to universities for next year, I realize how important it is to stay organized, and plan ahead so that I do not miss deadlines. Conversely, there are things that I prefer to be somewhat unorganized. In the summer of 2006, my family went on a canoeing trip in Quetico Park, in Ontario. Although we knew where we going, and approximately when, most of the trip was largely unplanned. In the end, it ended up being one of the most exciting vacations I have ever been on. Living without planning, along with the fact that we were somewhat “in the wild” added a sort of excitement to the whole thing, that people who meticulously plan every detail will unfortunately never experience.