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The Most Important Question You’re Not Asking About Your Future

The Most Important Question You’re Not Asking About Your Future

Welcome to NEXTletter, your personal 121 (One To One) with your future - 1 question, 2 perspectives, 1 experiment.

Frederik Pferdt
March 28, 2025

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Hello 🌄 friends

This week, on Stop 7 of the Zukunftsgeist (future spirit) Tour, something moved me deeply.

During the experience I created—right in the moment where we paused to imagine the future—some people began to tear up. Not because they were sad. But because, for a brief moment, they allowed themselves to feel their future.

Not just think about it.
Feel it.

Frederik G. Pferdt

One person said they wanted to feel safe.
Another longed for lightness.
Another: deep connection.

That’s when it became clearer than ever—
The future isn’t just about planning or predicting.
The future is an emotion.

Here’s a thought I keep coming back to:

When astronauts return from space, many describe something called the overview effect—a sudden, overwhelming emotional shift as they look down at Earth. In that moment, they don't just understand intellectually that everything is connected.
They feel it.

They describe awe.
Vulnerability.
Hope.
Responsibility.

Not new facts. New feelings.

And that feeling shifts how they see the future.

On this tour, I’ve witnessed a kind of overview effect too—not from space, but from stillness. When people are given space to look inward, to name the emotion they long for… something shifts.

ONE QUESTION TO REFLECT ON

How do you want to feel in the future?

TWO PERSPECTIVES TO CONSIDER

Every Future Goal Hides a Feeling

We often imagine what our future will look like—where we’ll be, what we’ll do, who we’ll become. The job title. The house. The goals achieved. But underneath all those images is something far more powerful: How do I want to feel?

That feeling is the true destination. It’s the reason behind the goal, the purpose beneath the plan. And when we name that feeling, our priorities shift. Suddenly, the question isn’t just What’s next?—it’s What feels right?

Emotions Are a Tool for Clarity

Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio discovered something remarkable:
People with damage to the emotional centers of their brain—despite having full access to logic—can’t make even basic decisions. Why?

Because emotion isn’t noise. It’s guidance. Emotions tell us what matters. They help us weigh possibilities, sense alignment, and move forward with purpose. They aren’t just personal—they’re practical. They’re essential data for shaping what’s next.

When we ignore that data, we lose touch with what makes a future worth creating. Feeling isn’t the opposite of thinking—it’s the foundation of wise decision-making.

🔹 A Special Tour Moment: My New Book Arrived Yesterday March 27th!

I’m incredibly excited that my new book,

»Radikal Besser: Entfache den Zukunftsgeist, der in dir steckt«

was released on March 27th with Murmann Verlag.

Every order makes a huge difference—not just for the book’s reach, but for the Zukunftsgeist movement itself. If you’ve been following along and believe in shaping what’s next, this is your chance to take the first step.

📖 Order now and still be among the first to dive into the future!

What type of book lover are you?

ONE EXPERIMENT

Pause today and ask yourself:
What is the feeling I want to guide my future?

Then choose just one small act to invite that feeling into the now:

Want to feel calm? Breathe in for 4, out for 6—three times.
Want to feel freedom? Say no to one thing. Or yes.
Want to feel connection? Call, message, or hug someone you love.
Want to feel bravery? Take the step you’ve been avoiding.
Want to feel joy? Play your favorite song and move your body.

Want to feel peace? Let go of a task that doesn’t matter today.

You don’t have to wait. The future begins in your emotional present.

Yesterday was a day filled with lots of emotions, gratitude, pride, excitement. My book: “Radikal Better - Entfache den Zukunftgeist, der in dir steckt” launched in Germany.

If you want to gift someone a better future, get a copy for them! This book is for anyone ready to feel their future—and start creating it.

P.S. We're 7 stops into the Zukunftsgeist Tour with 12 more to go. And each time, I’m reminded: the most powerful futures aren’t built—they’re felt. Join us! zukunftsgeist.de

– With Future Love, Frederik