1) The very institutions this country was built on are either being flipped upside down, or are already in ruins- but it ain’t all that bad
Alright so this is an obvious one. Let’s send it home though. The economy is a disaster. No argument there. However the ruin of major corporations and institutions isn’t as earth shattering as it seems… if you’re willing to roll with the punches and ride the wave of change. Totally groovy, man. Don’t get me? Think about it in terms of a natural disaster as opposed to an economic one. Take fires for example. Did you know that most forest trees need to be exposed to a fire every 50-100 years to regenerate growth? Fire actually releases seeds in pine cones that would otherwise never be released given normal conditions. Not to mention, ash is nutrient rich and provides a kind of super soil for those seeds to grow and flourish. Follow my nerdy analogy? (seeds=your ideas, super soil= foundation for new work) In short, destruction —> fresh beginnings.
2) We’re living in Generation: Power to the People
Think about it. The internet is your megaphone. Anyone and everyone has the platform to be heard. “The man” is dead. For God’s sake the homeless guy who naps on the Burger King bench could walk into a public library and start writing a blog or recording YouTube videos about his love/hate relationship with Jim Beam since his days in ‘Nam. Never in the history of the world has the average Joe had the capability to communicate with masses of people ANYWHERE. A hundred years ago, this would have sounded like pure magic. Picture this: it’s 1864. You’re feeling inspired. You decide to write a cook book. 100 Ways to Churn Butter with Mary Beatrice. You sit down with your quill and inkwell and begin to write. After nights of toiling over your parchment paper, (Remember this is the pre-whiteout) you get a printer to copy your precious manuscript. The book is printed, bound, and lugged across the country in a stagecoach looking for people who have a penchant for butter like you. (This requires a publisher, a printing press mechanic, a paper maker, a stagecoach, and a whole lotta morale.) Now picture this: It’s 2013. You’re feeling inspired. You open your MacBook, log onto WordPress, type, and press Enter. Now, anyone in the world has access to your material. Ladies and gentlemen, we’re living in the new era of manifest destiny and the internet is the Wild West.
3) You can learn how to do anything (literally anything) on the internet
Want to learn Mandarin? How about how to design an app? Want to take a Columbia course on Virology? You can. From your bed. While eating a pepperoni pizza. And petting your cat. At the same time. For free! It’s incredible and it’s waiting there for anyone who is self-motivated and hungry to learn. You don’t need thousands of dollars to go back to school. All you need is drive. I predict that free online learning is the future of education, especially since college has turned into more of a money pit than anything else for most people. Below is a link that will change the life of anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit. There is everything from better-than-Rosetta Stone language programs to lessons in bass. It’s pure gold and it’s there for the taking. I encourage you to dig in, enjoy, and let the inspiration flow. Until next time xo
Forward this to 45 of your closest friends or else your dead goldfish will come to haunt you at 12:01 tonight. Jk. Click it or you’re totally missing out: http://imgur.com/VgQMq6h
Lessons In Clarity 