Planetary Connection

The U.N. report regarding climate change is disheartening, but it’s no reason to give up hope. We can figure it out as a species. 

Humans have colonized the planet and innovated to make lives of luxury possible. It’s imperative we recognize this as convenience, and not necessity, for our planet. 

I walked through the garden section at a hardware store recently, and felt so at peace amongst the plants. We have a connection to the other life on this planet, and we must remember it. 

Healthy Society

Everything is connected to everything else, and there’s no better example than your health. When you make healthy lifestyle choices, they build up on one another and you feel great, which unlocks your full potential. 

As a society we could use this simple thinking to make improvements to our way of life. If we make good collective decisions… investing in education and healthcare, redesigning our governmental incentives, viewing humanity as one whole… the health of our society will improve, and we can thus effect even greater change. 

It’s never easy to start being healthy when you haven’t been. We have to decide if it’s worth our expenditure of effort to do the same for the world. 

Paradigm Choices

There’s a timelessness to everything, from a certain perspective. Movies from the ‘70’s are old hat, yet there’s recognition when you watch them. 

Same with hanging out with the tribe when there’s no phones or devices to prowl your attention. We haven’t evolved that much yet; we’re still the “same” humans as ancient Egypt. 

I guess it all depends on one’s paradigm while living. We get to decide, so what’ll it be?

Choice Time

What do you do on Saturday? That question can offer insight into one’s current focus in life.

For millennia we have steadily improved the average human’s work-life balance. In today’s age, in many parts of the world, “the weekend” can offer pure opportunity for recreation. 

So what are we collectively deciding to do with the time allotted us? More so than any time in history, we have the ability to decide. 

One Ecosystem

Seeing shots of Tokyo during Olympic coverage make me want to visit so bad, a unique place I’ve never been. The world is so vast and diverse, and there’s so much to explore. 

It also struck me how unbelievably beautiful this planet is: just one large complex system. We are all a part of each other, and we all belong to the Earth, as does all the other life.

It’s one enclosed ecosystem, and anything we do affects everything else; it’s physics. And if we all understand and abide by this paradigm, the ecosystem will flourish. 

Solutions in the Middle

Do we live in a utopian society without wants and needs, or do we inhabit a failed state on a downward spiral of destruction? The truth is probably somewhere in between those realities. 

There are indeed institutional and systemic forces that make the world unfair, unjust, and inhumane. But there is also ample evidence of goodness, awareness and valor.

The answer is not to tear it all down, nor is it to tweak minor problems on the periphery. It’s somewhere in the middle, and it’s up to us to figure it out. 

Supreme Time

We live in a very money focused society, but money only serves as a vehicle for protecting the most important resource: time. I often ask people if they would switch places with Warren Buffett—he is one of the richest people in the world after all. 

But he’s also very old, and unable to get that time back. Money enables us to spend our time how we want it, and therein lies its greatest power. 

What would we give to spend just a little bit more time with our loved ones, a little bit more time on this Earth? The answer is everything, which is why time reigns supreme. 

Expanding Thought

There’s that wisdom that your environment contributes to who you are, but I’ve realized recently it’s also what you consume. When I’m reading and listening to educational podcasts often, it expands my outlook on life and spurs critical thinking. 

Listening to intelligent people make clear cases for complicated things rubs off on you. I notice a huge difference in mindset when actively seeking out creativity and thought, than when mindlessly surfing the web or consuming television. 

It can be difficult to get out of sloppy habits that dampen our vitality, but when we see the other side, the impact can’t be ignored. You are what you think. 

Scarcity Free World

We unlock our capacity for thinking through problems when we live in an environment of abundance. It’s a luxury to be able to sit and think about the world’s problems and how to solve them. 

To reach that higher level of activation across our species, we first have to ensure safety and comfort are prevalent across the globe. Right now many parts still exhibit scarcity, in many forms. 

If we unite, we can collectively pool our resources, and escape scarcity. From there anything is possible, as we can synthesize the knowledge of giants before us to create a brand new world. 

Long term Gratitude

I wonder if America being so new diminishes our long term thinking. We seem to not have as much forward-looking perspective as our European and other international brethren. 

Americans are immersed in luxury and convenience, and it’s all too easy for us to forget how much hardship exists in other parts of the world. Gratitude is not our normal mode of operation; we have to insist we live with it. 

Part of maintaining gratitude is recognizing how we can spread it, to different people and across time to future generations. We can be grateful for all we enjoy now, and offer that opportunity to those who come after. 

The Vehicle of Art

Today I was exposed to high class art for the first time in what seems like a long time. I tend to gravitate toward nature and the beauty of the universe, but true good art is spectacular in its own right. 

We are incredible monkeys, with the dexterity and imagination to produce some wonderful imagery. We’re the only species that does it on this planet, and when you consider it from that perspective, it’s kind of incredible. 

We have the ability to inspire and evoke deep emotion; that is demonstrated by our art. Can we purpose that for collective action, for the betterment of all we know… can we change the world?

Cali Differences

It always amazes me how different Southern California is from the Bay Area. There are so many more people, more freeway lanes, and overall just a different vibe. 

Just 400 miles away, and culture can completely change. And sometimes it doesn’t, which is what makes this smorgasbord of civilization so interesting. 

The takeaway is there is always something to learn. The more we expand our possibilities, the better we can make the world for our children. 

Offering 1 Percent

I’ve been trying to figure out how I can contribute my 1% to the world. As I’ve written before, if we all contribute just 1% of our effort to bettering the world, things would improve.

A little bit of time on all our parts, to whatever end we can offer, and it’d be a better collective experience for us all. So what can I offer to the world, what can you?

When we look at it from this perspective, contribution transforms from a duty to motivation. Isn’t this the world we want to live in?

Exploring this World

“Oh, the Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss has inspired me since I was a child. Sometimes things don’t go the way we envision, but it’s such a big world out there, to despair is to waste. 

There’s so much beauty and divine in this world to discover. I’m grateful to be alive to explore this incredible planet. 

It might seem like a small victory at times, but to take solace in this basic ability to tour and traverse the Earth epitomizes being human. We belong to this rock, and what a wonderful rock it is. 

Future Agency

So what do we do, in a world in which we seemingly have less and less agency? Shall we enjoy the comforts afforded to us in the times we live in, and let it all pass us by?

The solution is to adopt a longitudinal view, one that spans far past our lifetime. Understanding that our collective actions have consequences down the line—that’s the first step. 

The second is to commit to contribution, to bettering the world for not just ourselves, but for those who come after. It’s the only way to promote a better future. 

Thinking of Home

It’s been depressing to see news about climate change, but I feel in the wake of Covid-19 it’s become worse. I fear the hardship our species has experienced with this virus will only pale to what may potentially come. 

I find myself pretending it all away, focusing on other things to stay distracted from reality. How many others do something similar?

The facts are plain to see: we must take strong collective action. It’s time to view our planet, and all the life on it, for what it is—the only habitable place in the known universe, and our home. 

Life Dwelling

We can be so meticulous about our dwelling. Home is a manifestation of our internal environment, where we are in the journey of life. 

But it’s easy to become obsessed with convenience and aesthetic. Fengshui is important, but I’ve found you find that when it’s a fit, not fancy. 

No matter how simple, our home is our castle, our sanctuary. It reflects where we are in the adventure. 

Social is Human

Sometimes it can be the simplest thing to spend time with your tribe. Today I hung out at the pool with some of mine, and the water alongside food and music fueled the relaxation. 

We don’t need elaborate parties and fancy gatherings. It is the social interaction time that reinvigorates us more. 

It is our social bonds that unite us and persuade us to do good. Our community, whether familial or global, is what makes us human. 

Turning Points

It’s always interesting to me how things change over time. I look back on my perspectives from times before, and they look so different. 

It’s one thing to keep that mind when engaging in self reflection; it’s another to recognize that everyone else is going through the same process. We are temporary in every single way, life forms that must adapt and change to survive. 

Some moments matter more than others, and in those key opportunities we can reach a turning point. Because momentum is real as well, and riding its wave is easier than fighting it. 

Tribal Paradigm

It’s our tribe that gives us support and love, our tribe that empowers us to achieve higher levels of self-actualization. I try to remember how incredibly fortunate I am to have such a strong and communal tribe. 

It’s high time we recognize that we all have tribes, people we care about that support us. And that we are collectively one large tribe that empowers each other to achieve success and prosperity. 

The sooner we focus our collective efforts on strengthening our global tribe, the faster life will improve for all of us. If we adopt this perspective, anything is possible.