The north wind and the sun were disputing which was the stronger, and agreed to acknowledge as the victor whichever of them could strip a traveler of his clothing. The wind tried first. But its violent gusts only made the man hold his clothes tightly around him, and when it blew harder still the cold made him so uncomfortable that he put on an extra wrap. Eventually the wind got tired of it and handed him over to the sun. The sun shone first with a moderate warmth, which made the man take off his topcoat. Then it blazed fiercely, till, unable to stand the heat, he stripped and went off to bathe in a nearby river. Persuasion is far more effective than force. Fables, Aesop, 6th century B.C.

When you shower in the morning, you think about what you will make for breakfast and if you will have time. While walking to work or class, you think about how much work you have to do after you get out. While walking back you think about how good the weekend will feel and all the fun you will have. While at the gym you think about what you can make for dinner and how much time that will take. When spending time with friends, you think about how much you are spreading yourself thin to get what you need to get done. While laying to bed you think about how you will have to do it all again tomorrow. When the weekend finally comes, you think of the beginning of next week and the work you will have to do all over again. If the present is what determines the future, and we are always dwelling or stressing about our future, how can we be effective in the present? Because a focus on the present is what can create a more peaceful future rather than one that looks the same as the present.

A boy playing in the fields got stung by a nettle. He ran home to his mother, telling her that he had but touched that nasty weed, and it had stung him. "It was just your touching it, my boy," said the mother, "that caused it to sting you; the next time you meddle with a nettle, grasp it tightly, and it will do you no hurt". Do boldly what you do at all. Fables, Aesop -Excerpt from The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

The Old Man and the White Horse by Max Lucado (In the Eye of the Storm) Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before – such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength. People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. “This horse is not a horse to me,” he would tell them. “It is a person. How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend.” The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse. One morning he found that the horse was not in his stable. All the village came to see him. “You old fool,” they scoffed, “we told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been to high. Now the horse is gone and you’ve been cursed with misfortune.” The old man responded, “Don’t speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I’ve been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?” The people contested, “Don’t make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse.” The old man spoke again. “All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don’t know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can’t say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?” The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was a fool; if he wasn’t, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, and old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool.

Do what it takes to prepare for the future you desire, but not at the expense of the future itself. The fulcrum moves, the balance shifts, depending on the priorities. But as you work to build your bridge, don’t forget to periodically check what you’re building towards.