Apocalypse Now...or Never?

It's the New Year so a little introspection is in order; new priorities need to be set. Can't help but noticing that the gym has never been more crowded; lots of faces I've never seen before. Can almost bet that in a month from now most of these people will be gone....

Last year seemed to mark some kind of a watershed, at least for me. I can't remember a time when the media has bombarded us with more negativity, more potential calamities, more inducements to be afraid (as if we didn't have enough things to worry about). At the same time, the media wants us to be more concerned with celebrities and their inevitable meltdowns. And so many people buy into this. It's amazing how people talk about celebrities on a first name basis, as if these people are really their friends! Sounds like bread and circuses to me folks; disempower enough people and they won't take charge of their lives, they will continue to buy things they don't need and complain about the things they can't afford!

In this playing field, it is more of a challenge to remain centered and to pursue our personal and professional goals, more of a challenge to be grateful for every bit of happiness every day, more of a challenge to be rich in every way.

The question I have been pondering though, is should we give any weight to those people who seem hell bent on convincing us the world is going to hell? What about those melting polar ice caps???? I've never responded well to fear, it goes against my grain. I'll never be one of those guys riding his bicycle in Central Park with a plastic helmet; factoring out all risk is not only impossible but not desirable. I don't know about those melting polar ice caps, but I do know this: Next time I get some take out from anywhere: the pizza place or the local Japanese restaurant, I can tell the guys to spare me the excess plastic, don't wrap the food as if I'm going to Mars, and don't throw in lots of stuff I don't need or want.

As our consciousness grows on a daily basis, we each have a responsibility to filter out more of the garbage thrown at us. This is no easy task, since without direct experience it is almost impossible to verify the truthfulness of much of the information out there. At the same time, we live in this world, and are sometimes seduced by the shininess of the nifty material goods now being produced. For me, the challenge is not to go back, not to romanticize the "good old days," (they weren't that great anyway), but to embrace the problems and opportunities we have RIGHT NOW. And to do it with a sincere heart and all the love we can muster. As we embark on all those new ventures in 2008, I say this: Savor Small Steps.