Imagine fast-tracking your spiritual journey by talking to your future awakened self—the version of you who’s already found the peace and clarity you’re striving for today. What wisdom would they share to help you bypass years of frustration and struggle? While we can’t actually time-travel, this conversation offers the possibility of tapping into that wisdom right now. Here’s how that conversation might go, and the surprising lesson it revealed.
CURRENT MICHAEL: Who are you?
FUTURE MICHAEL: I’m you, Michael—your future awakened self.
CURRENT MICHAEL (skeptical): My future self? That’s… impossible.
FUTURE MICHAEL (smiling): Is it? Aren’t you the one seeking the impossible—trying to grasp enlightenment?
CURRENT MICHAEL (frustrated): I’m not trying to grasp anything. I’m just trying to get back to that state of bliss and connection I experienced during my first awakening. I’ve been reading every book, attending every retreat. I feel awful, and I need to fix this.
FUTURE MICHAEL: I know you’re struggling right now, Michael. But here’s something that might sound crazy: the secret to getting back there—to moving beyond this struggle—is to stop trying so hard.
The Struggle of Striving
CURRENT MICHAEL (disbelieving): Stop trying? That can’t be right. How can I make progress by doing nothing?
FUTURE MICHAEL: I get it. It sounds absurd. But the very act of trying to “get somewhere,” of trying to achieve a state of peace or bliss, is what’s keeping you stuck. The peace and connection you’re seeking aren’t goals to be achieved—they’re what’s left when you stop all the striving and allow yourself to simply be.
FUTURE MICHAEL (V.O.): Imagine you’re rowing furiously upstream, exhausting yourself with each stroke. That’s how you’re approaching your spiritual practice right now.
FUTURE MICHAEL (V.O.): Now imagine letting go of the oars and allowing the current to carry you. The peace you seek isn’t upstream—it’s the natural flow of the river itself.
The Nature of the Ocean
CURRENT MICHAEL: But if I stop, won’t I just… stagnate? There must be something I need to do!
FUTURE MICHAEL: Let me explain it another way. Your true nature is like the stillness of a deep ocean. Right now, you’re caught up in the surface waves—thoughts, emotions, sensations—constantly being tossed around by their movement. But beneath all of that, there’s a calm, vast stillness that’s always there. The more you fight the waves, the further you are from experiencing the peace that’s in the depths.
CURRENT MICHAEL (skeptical): This sounds too simple. I’ve been practicing for years, and nothing comes that easily.
FUTURE MICHAEL (smiling): It feels that way because you’re still focused on “doing.” You think peace is something you need to work for. But listen, here’s the irony: the harder you try, the more elusive it becomes. The peace you’re seeking is the stillness underneath all the effort. It’s already here, waiting for you to stop long enough to notice it.
A Journey of Trust, Not Effort
CURRENT MICHAEL: So what now? Just stop?
FUTURE MICHAEL: Not exactly. You’re not giving up—you’re shifting your focus. Instead of striving to fix or achieve, you’re learning to allow. You’ll still meditate, breathe, and reflect—but not as a means to an end. These are tools to help you notice what’s already here. It takes practice to be still in the face of discomfort, to stop looking for answers outside yourself.
CURRENT MICHAEL: It sounds like I’m being told to do nothing, but you’re also saying I need to practice. Isn’t that contradictory?
FUTURE MICHAEL (laughing): It does sound that way, doesn’t it? The practices are just tools. What you’re really learning is to be okay with “what is.” You’ll meditate, not to reach some ideal state, but to experience the stillness beneath the thoughts. You’ll breathe consciously, not to fix anything, but to stay present as you stop getting caught in the waves.
CURRENT MICHAEL: I think I’m starting to understand, but it still feels impossible.
FUTURE MICHAEL: It’s normal to feel that way. It won’t always make sense, and sometimes you’ll fall back into old patterns of trying too hard. Just remember: your true nature is effortless being. You don’t have to do anything to “achieve” it. It’s what remains when you stop struggling and let the surface calm.
Effortless Being: It’s Already Here
As the conversation winds down, I sit in stunned silence. The paradox of spiritual seeking finally makes sense—the harder I try, the further away I get. And yet, it’s not about giving up either. It’s about shifting from striving to allowing, from fixing to being. It’s a different kind of practice, one rooted in presence rather than effort.
Conclusion:
And that’s the paradox of the spiritual journey. The peace we’re all seeking is already here, patiently waiting for us to stop trying so hard to reach it. That first moment of awakening was the door opening, but walking through it means learning to stop rowing upstream and allowing the river to carry us.
So I ask you—how might your spiritual journey change if you stopped pushing so hard and learned to rest in your true nature? What if peace was already here, hidden in plain sight? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. I’d love to hear your stories of letting go and allowing. Until next time, may you find moments of effortless being amidst the beautiful absurdity of the spiritual journey.
