Doom, Gloom, and Rumors of Boom.

Boy, it’s scary in the world right now. And there’s no way to step out of the world, except to distract ourselves. However, if we study history, distraction leads to complacency, which leads to societal collapse and decline. This is not the path we had in mind when we were young and optimistic - was that only a dream of youth?” Let me give you an offering of hope.

The greatest times create the greatest people. Sure, it beats us down and grinds us. And like a proper grinding machine, it takes away the soft parts, and leaves the hard, precious core. This is a time in our society and our lives where we get to expose who we really are and what is made of us. For those of us ready to step up, there is no better time to move forward in our lives.

There seem to be 3 strengths at the core of the human experience we can rely on to move forward -

Our intellectual strength allows us to stop before we behave rationally and use reasoned analysis to validate our decisions and actions. This is our ability to reason, to slow down, focus and separate perception from what is real.

Our Emotional strength allows us to care, be compassionate, connect with ourselves, others, and the community to perform actions greater than we could have without such connection. This is the source of love, conviction, and passion.

Our Intuitional strength allows us to explore who we are, what sits at the center of our experience, and connect to the act of life and living itself, whether this is a spiritual journey, a religious journey, or a journey of intellectual contemplation. This is our moral compass.

Now that we know what our strengths are, let’s put them to use. The greatest of us have taken these general steps – if you don’t know how to get started, ask me, and I can provide you further guidance.

·        Educate yourself. If you don’t know how to do this, learn. Learn how to learn and point that skill at everything. That is your flashlight to illuminate all the dark areas, the scary corners of the world. Learning, growing, and lots of practice give you confidence.

·        As you learn, find what keeps you up late (besides distractions). Find what keeps you from putting a book down, or keeps you coming back to certain people and conversations.

·        Find your people, the group that inspire, protect, and console you. This is your village. They are your safe harbor and will protect your purpose with you. And as you are protected by them, you will in turn protect them as well.

·        Find the ‘large rock in the way of your progress’. The large rock is your worthy adversary and will teach you more than any mentor, book, education, university ever can. And when you are tired, you’ll find the shoulders of your village beside you, pushing that rock.

·        Make friends with solitude. There are times you are to be alone, and times that you are in the middle of a sea of community. They both have their gifts. Solitude teaches you the depths of your soul – that “deep stillness within that runs the whole show.”

This is not a linear path, but a group of activities you visit constantly, spinning around each other, influencing each other and you. Using your intellectual strength, you can track progress in each of these areas. There is magic in writing something down on a piece of paper and visiting that paper regularly. Enjoy doing this.

About distractions - they’re part of the human experience. Distraction is not bad; sometimes we need to rest from constant growth. However, it is a way-station, not a destination. Use it consciously. You have an opportunity to actively participate in your way forward, and contribute to a world that you dreamed of when you were young. Now is the time to step up - and I'll be right beside you, cheering you on.