Quite often, younger people are idealistic while older people have become [at times] jaded and cynical [ליידער ליידער!!!!] and lose their youthful idealism. Then the older people use the "wisdom" they have acquired and advise the younger people to drop their idealism, to be "responsible", to "worry about their future" etc. etc.
These are the כחות הרע speaking with a human voice. Their point of departure is that we are in this world for material pleasure and success. That is the way many people - even Orthodox Jews - think. It is in the USA air. The true point of departure is that we are in this world for one reason - to be מתענג על השם - to delight in Hashem and His infinite joy. That is what our tradition [as transmitted by the Mesillas Yesharim and many others] teaches. The way to achieve this is by keeping mitzvos. That is our task.
It goes without saying that one should be responsible and make sure to make a living so that he can pay his bills but everything is about Avodas Hashem.
It is important to keep in mind that the "future" is NOW compared to one's entire life until now. So instead of always living for some nebulous, hazy future one should make sure to do the right thing for now.
It is also important to remember that the future in this world is relatively speaking extremely brief. Extremely. כחלום יעוף. Like a fleeting dream. The definite future in the next world where we are all going NEVER ENDS. And what determines eternity is ONLY the closeness we developed with the Creator.
The Chofetz Chaim said that people think that there is a חברת שטארבערס - a club of people who die. But I am not in that club. I never paid membership and never joined. But the reality is that we are ALL in this club. It is just a matter of time. And since we don't know when that time is it is more than suggested that TODAY we start making changes for the better.
