Life is an increasingly refined balancing act, with many accepting that the only constant in life is change. The increasing speed at which we are expected to adapt has become something crippling to our natural disposition.
In "hunter-gatherer" days, nobody worked a twelve-hour shift and went home to parent or perform household tasks alone. The burden that each person carries is becoming onerous, and it is as if we are flirting with danger lurking at the fringe of sanity.
Technology creates increased isolation and the pressure to perform a solo act, where once before, an entire orchestra created beautiful symphonies. The result is a discordant cacophony of too many people beating their own drum at the cost of a multitude of others. This creates discord that thrums to our very souls, and the silent cry for community and support is often silenced with unhealthy coping mechanisms, addictions, and symptoms of poor health masking the true cause.
In a world that feels, at times, dark and glum, it is understandable how there may be a tendency to sit back and feel powerless.
The one approach that I find myself returning to time and again is that it is critical more now than ever to make time and space to appreciate what we can. It is a matter of consciously seeking reasons to feel satisfied with what is while being eager for what is yet to come.
It is only with this view in mind that it is meaningful to still strike out in the hopes of reaching new horizons and possibilities, not only for our personal sense of purpose but also as a legacy that we create for future generations.
We are all motivated by various philosophies and reasons, but it is important to accept that if we "sit back" and simply let the tides carry us to destinations we would prefer not to live in or wash waves over our heads, we have submitted to whatever life "serves."
It is not what happens to you that determines who you are but how you choose to respond to life. When life is going swimmingly well, it may be in each person’s interest to toss out a life buoy of hope to those struggling to strike out alone.