The future has a way of arriving unannounced.

"The future has a way of arriving unannounced." These words by George Will capture a profound and often overlooked truth: the future, that intangible force we often spend our days anticipating or avoiding, is never quite as predictable as we imagine. It does not come with a schedule or a warning, and often, it reveals itself not when we expect it, but when we least expect it. It is elusive, shifting beneath our feet as we move through life, with no regard for our plans or our timelines. The future, in Will's view, is a force that arrives not as a predictable outcome, but as a surprise, reshaping our lives in ways both gentle and jarring.

In the ancient world, fate was often seen as an unstoppable force, determined not by the will of the individual, but by the gods themselves. The Greeks, with their pantheon of gods and goddesses, believed that the future was both written and unpredictable, often dictated by divine whims or cosmic balance. Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is an example of how fate unfolds unannounced, with Oedipus’s efforts to avoid his destiny only drawing him closer to it. The future in the eyes of the ancients was something to be feared, yet also respected—a force that could not be bargained with, only accepted. The future, therefore, was not something that could be controlled, but something that arrived in its own time, often unanticipated and sometimes with devastating consequences.

Similarly, the Romans had a deeply ingrained sense of impermanence, recognizing that despite all their might and order, the future could shift unpredictably. Marcus Aurelius, in his Meditations, constantly reminded himself that the present moment was all he could control, and that the future—though it might be planned for—would unfold on its own terms. He acknowledged that no matter how much preparation or control one sought, the future had a way of arriving unannounced, and it was how one responded to that surprise that mattered most. Like the Stoics, Aurelius valued resilience and acceptance, recognizing that while we cannot control what the future holds, we can control how we engage with it when it arrives.

In the modern world, George Will’s words echo this timeless theme. The future often comes at us unexpectedly, shaped by forces we cannot foresee. It could arrive in the form of new technologies, unforeseen events, or life-altering changes that defy our best-laid plans. Think of the rise of the internet in the late 20th century, which fundamentally changed economies, communication, and daily life across the globe. No one could have predicted the immense social and cultural shifts it would bring, nor the opportunities and challenges it would present. The future arrived, in this case, as a disruptive force—one that unfolded unannounced and altered the course of history.

Similarly, the story of Nelson Mandela offers a poignant example of how the future can arrive with little warning. Mandela’s life was one of profound struggle, yet the events that would lead to the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa came suddenly. One day, Mandela was still a prisoner, with no clear path to freedom; the next, the future opened before him with the unexpected release and a newly formed government ready for change. Mandela himself had been preparing for this moment for decades, but the speed at which the future arrived was both sudden and overwhelming. His ability to accept the unpredictable nature of fate, and his capacity to act when it arrived, shaped his legacy as one of great wisdom and leadership.

The lesson that we can draw from Will's words is simple: the future cannot be controlled or predicted, but our response to it is the measure of our strength. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the idea that we must control every aspect of our future. We plan, we work, and we prepare for what we believe lies ahead. Yet, just as nature itself is unpredictable, so too is the future—a force that arrives on its own terms, often reshaping our lives in ways we never could have foreseen.

So, the true wisdom lies not in trying to control or predict the future, but in embracing the present moment with the understanding that the future will unfold as it will. Just as the ancients understood the impermanence of life, we too must learn to be resilient in the face of uncertainty. Live fully today, for the future is not something we can hold onto, but something that will arrive, unannounced, at its own time. Embrace it with open arms, and face it with strength, knowing that while we cannot predict what will come, we have the power to decide how we will respond.