The beginning of a new year is often a time for reflection. It is also a time when people think about their futures. Often we set goals for the year ahead. I have been inspired recently by a book that was referred to me from a friend. It is called Abundance, The Future is Better Than You Think by Steven Kotler and Peter Diamandis.
Despite being a very positive person, which I am, we are subjected to much negativity everyday that can influence how we feel. The news are generally full of bad news. The discussions around the state of the Globe focus on the problems we face, the environment, terrorism, war and geo-political turmoil. At the get togethers enjoyed during this Holiday season I listened more closely than usual. When the discussion turned to the news, with the exception of peoples’ excitement and confusion about “bitcoin & blockchain,” the rest revolved around recent tragedies and scandals. Of course there is much wrong and worry in our world, but there is also much right. There are solid reasons why we can feel extremely optimistic about our individual futures and most importantly the future of our world.
There are sociological, psychological and physiological reasons why our brains give more time to the danger and worries in our environment. Unfortunately, the media feeds this part of our brain as these are the stories we are trained to be looking for to preserve our survival. The way we are and how information is fed to us are root causes for why it is hard for us to fathom that humans are better off than we have ever been and that maybe, we are closer than ever to solving the Globe’s most important problems.
When we examine the greatest collective problems we face: food, water, energy, education, freedom, we see that technological advances over the past five years have gotten the human race closer than ever to solutions we need. Not just for the developed world but for the entire world!
I have always referred to myself as a “thoughtful optimist” but reading this book and the follow up research I’ve done, has given me a great deal of additional data to make me feel more optimistic than ever! If we are self aware of how our brains work, how we are being battered with one type of information and some of the astounding technology advancements that are happening every day, you too might feel much more positive about today, tomorrow and the days ahead for yourself and your families.
It is our job to feed ourselves the good news, not simply succumb to the bad. Add some thoughtful optimism, and you can contribute to an overall level of happiness that brings energy and joy. Happy New Year and let’s toast to a great tomorrow!
