The other day I asked a friend a simple question: “What would you do if you were sent back to 1994? Not as a ‘do over,’ but at your current age and experience.” It turned out to be an intriguing question which brought up countless other questions and possibilities. The exercise also pointed to insights we can apply to our present lives.

What music would I listen to, and what concerts would I attend? What would I do for a living? Where would I live? What would I do without the Internet and technology of today?

Immediately the limitations of living 15 years in the past became apparent; our precious iPhones would loose luster without a network or charge cables to support them, most of our favorite bands would not exist yet, none of our current friends or family would join us for the journey. We’d probably have to fudge our resumes to restart our careers, and make up a story to explain our sudden appearance on the scene.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.

Henry David Thoreau

After considering these hurdles and unknowns, something else became clear; with our knowledge of the world, where things were heading, and a ‘nothing to loose’ attitude, the world of 1994 really could be our oyster. There are of course the clichés of investing in Apple or Google, or making ourselves eye witnesses of history. But this exercise also points to something deeper about how we can live our lives today.

With the (past/present) history of the world largely ‘already written,’ and the great unknowns of current events ‘known’ (to us anyway), we would be free to focus on our own lives and futures with a much longer view. In some ways we would be limited by living in the past. At the same time knowing the ‘limits’ could actually open up the world of possibilities even more (see ‘cliché’ above). In a sense our lives would become simpler; with no past that’s known to others, we would be free to focus on the present and future with more clarity and vigor.

People tend to get caught up in a very short sited view of their lives. Daily emergencies override speculations about what we might make out of our time on earth. The little things we decide over time that we cannot or should not do become laws written in stone. Our lives become ‘complicated,’ and our struggles feed into self fulfilling prophecies in a never ending cycle. We tend to use the uncertainty of the outside world as an excuse to further limit ourselves. Even people who are successful and hard working can fall into this trap from time to time. In short: The ‘short view’ of life is exhausting, draining, and rarely keeps us ‘on track’ to what we really want.

Turning back to our 1994 time travel in the light of our current concerns, the questions and answers become more revealing: Will I live in the same city? (Where do I want to live now?) What will my job be? (What’s my dream career?) What kind of relationship will I have? (How do I relate to people?) What kind of family will I find? (Who is my family, who is not my family?) Who will I associate with? (Who do I want to have in my network?)

Outside forces still always come into play, and our own response to circumstances has an impact on our daily lives. However taking the longer view we can recognize what we are really about: Creation, commitment to what we want in our world, and having the people and accomplishments in our life match up with our dreams (our future).

As the time traveler we realize our own power to create the future of our lives, and to separate what is in our control versus what is not. In this experiment thinking of 1994 we sense curiosity, wonder, excitement, creation and uncertainty. We have an added vision of what is possible in our lives, despite knowing what will take place in a broader sense.

In contrast to the typical fantasy of winning the lotto, this time traveler scenario is less of an escape as it is an inquiry. It demonstrates the level of control we have over our own lives, stripping away some of the mystique and influence of outside events. Regardless we still need to DO something to create the lives we want, simply dreaming or knowing does not replace action.

The most successful and happy people share the long view of the time traveler. They are not impatient, they are diligent. They are not victims, they are champions. They are not an island, they are leaders. The key to success in your own life is to take the time to ‘try on’ the life that inspires you, and then use the tools available (in every sense) to lay the foundation for your best possible future.