President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote: We may not be able to prepare the future for our children, but we can at least prepare our children for the future.

But it is not just children that need to be prepared for the future. We all need to be prepared for the future. The past shapes the present we live in; how we live and respond in the present shape our future. No one has a crystal ball to see what next year or future years will bring. Who could have predicted the millions of refugees that are being displaced recently by conflicts of warring factions and acts of terrorism in their countries; who could have predicted how virtual and cyber space have so much impact on our personal lives and the way we do business; who could have predicted the economic and social changes in our world have begun to create uncertainties on the aspirations, careers and affordable housing of future generations. There are always elements of surprise and change that we never anticipate.

I was watching “A Christmas Carol” over the Christmas holidays. It tells the story of Scrooge who was visited by the ghost of Christmas Past, the ghost of Christmas Present, and the ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. He was able to see scenes of the past that made him regret, scenes of the of joy on the faces of his friends and relatives, whom he had disdained, in the present, and scene of the future that saw his own end in a grave without leaving a legacy to those he left behind. He finally woke up, and his life was changed. He was able to treat his fellow human beings with kindness, generosity, and warmth.

If we could see our past, present and future on a single page, it might also change us to live life differently. Here is a video clip of stories of individuals whose lives have changed and became better prepared for the future.