ISSUE 985 - January 2024

"Phew! We made it through another one", as we sigh and wipe our collective brow. 

And here we are, still standing, starting another year full of hope and optimism. Aren't humans delightful that way?

I'm grateful to have made it to the finish line of 2023. I know a lot of folks, some of whom were my family members and other close friends, who didn't. 

I don't know about you, but I am reflecting with a new perspective because it's been yet another year in several that have not been exactly stellar, starting with our favorite disruptor, 2020. 

Among our many resolutions, the nagging question looms in the back of our minds, "Will the end of 2024 be any different?"

Wouldn't it be incredible to get to the end of the year and look back upon it with a glow in our hearts, knowing that humanity and the world have been up-leveled significantly? 

Maybe we're closer to world peace, or perhaps we have a cure for cancer, Alzheimer's, or Parkinson's--something vast and transformative. Or that we have shown each other exceptional kindness and goodwill throughout the year instead of getting into yet another war (with the added bonus of fearing it might be the beginning of World War III). Wouldn't that be something? 

Hats off to us humans, though. We are an optimistic lot. We come into January thinking, "It will be better," or for some, more accurately, "It can't get much worse." 

But what does it take to make the changes and differences we hope for every year?

The change begins with us. We know that, or we should, anyway. But it goes far beyond our desire to reduce inches off our waistlines or cut down on our caffeine or alcohol intake. 

It's a change in attitude and mindset that we desperately need. A desire so strong for things to be different that it leads to real change that makes a real difference for our communities, planet, and future. We need action. Not more hope and wishes, but action. 

I encourage you, this January of 2024, to think innovatively about ways to take your hopes and dreams, turn them into action, and make a significant difference in our weary old world. Kindness to your fellow humans is a great place to start if you need a prompt. 

Author, Howar Zinn, says it beautifully, "To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.

What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."

We can do better.