Yesterday, I went to my first high school reunion 15 years post-graduation. Back then, we made an “Abizeitung,” a “graduation newspaper.” It’s a proper book with entries for every person, lots of tidbits, photos, and more.
Our graduation was car-themed, so, on their profile, each person had answered some car-themed questions. Perhaps the most interesting one? “Where will you be cruising around in ten years?” We sat in a circle and each person read out their entry.
The entries themselves were mostly what you’d expect: Traveling the world, sitting on a beach, back home with family and kids—universal dreams most people share. What was fascinating, however, was that almost every person realized they had found at least a small piece of their dream.
Sure, some noted they were overdue for a trip to their travel agency, but by and large, you’d see people tilt their head after sharing, reflecting for a second, and then saying: “Hmm, yeah, actually, that’s not half-wrong! I did this and that, and it kind of fits!”
Of course, we all had five extra years from our original ten-year projection (thanks COVID!) before our gathering, but I think something else affected our success rate: People see what they want to see—and that’s not always a bad thing! If our prophecies are self-fulfilling only because we are self-interpreting them, that can be a gift as much as it can be a curse, if not more. If we can choose what we value, why not choose to value what we have already found?
As for my prophecy, I thought I’d be driving “all around the world in my first, well-paid, demanding and super fun job!” What can I say? After ten years of self-employment, as of a few months ago, that’s exactly what I’m doing in my first full-time job—minus the travel part, but hey, it kind of fits!
