I think we can all agree that 2020 was a horrendous year.
2021 wasn’t much better for that matter but it felt different. 2021 was like being in an ever present and otherworldly kind of limbo where no one is quite sure how to move forward. At the moment the world lacks clarity not just in terms of returning to the freedoms so many of us took for granted but returning to normal life in all its facets.
I’m not an anti-vaxxer nor am I someone who believes this entire pandemic was engineered to snatch away our freedoms. I refuse to believe the world could be that evil but I don’t hate those who hold that belief, people have a right to their own opinions.
"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. " - Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Do I believe the vaccines are totally safe? Absolutely not. Just like the virus, the vaccines appear to have unpredictably dangerous side effects for certain segments of the population. Myocarditis, for one, is a huge concern.
What I do feel is that many aspects of the response to this pandemic have been grossly mishandled. Livelihoods and businesses were destroyed. Certain aspects of life will never be quite the same.
The pandemic has pulled back the curtain to reveal the depth of incompetence and corruption at the highest levels, how ill prepared we were for a crisis of this magnitude, and how much influence the media and corporations have on the world stage.
Much more emphasis should have been given to therapeutics in the fight against Covid. Research is clear that if more people had more access to monoclonal antibodies and other therapeutics early in their illnesses lots of lives could have been saved.
As someone who’s lost friends and family to the virus and have seen many otherwise healthy people taken to the brink of death by it, I know first hand that Covid is significantly more dangerous than the flu. I’ve seen smart, worldly and vibrant people who’ve been brainwashed by disinformation to believe that this was all a hoax and have lost their lives because of it.
More than anything these past two years have taught me how dangerous disinformation is. In many ways disinformation is the most dangerous of all viruses. There's also very little pattern of predictability as to who succumbs to it.
“No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.” - Buddha
Time always reveals the truth. As always the truth can, predictably, be found nestled between the two extremes. At a certain point it doesn’t matter who was right and who was wrong. Why? Because neither side was totally right or totally wrong. It’s the same thing with Republicans and the Democrats, progressives and conservatives, etc., etc.
At a certain point being angry with each other becomes just another bad habit that we do without thinking about. We get to a point where our very first instinct is to dig our heals in and do battle instead of trying to work towards a mutually beneficial solution or consensus. Eventually anger weighs us down and paralyzes any kind of progress for the whole of humanity. Anger is toxic, poison for the soul. It’s torn apart families, friends, and colleagues.
“I took a walk in this beautiful world, felt the cool rain on my shoulder. Found something good in this beautiful world, I felt the rain getting colder.” - Mark Lanegan
As I step into 2022 I refuse to live in anger any longer.
I also refuse to live one more second in fear.
Like many others I've learned a lot, some of the lessons were extremely difficult. We all have one life, only one, and we should be using it to run towards our dreams, to love, to make more memories.
There is still so much good in this world, so many goals to achieve, all we have to do is realize this and focus on it. The clock is ticking. As Michael Altschuler said, “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
Happy New Year to you all! May 2022 bring us all good health, prosperity, peace, and most of all...clarity.
(Gifs sourced from Giphy.com)
Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive.
Pick up a copy of Ephemera today on Amazon.
Most of us have experienced a moment of perfect peace at least once in our lives. In these moments we lose ourselves and feel connected to everything. I call these mindful moments. Words can’t describe how complete they make us feel.
These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, Mindful Moments, will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com.
Let’s Keep In Touch
Not every day of life is easy. The harder life is, the stronger it can become. Then you can not fall into even the most difficult situations. What is gained through hard work and effort is more valuable than what is simply gained. I strongly believe it.
I am wishing you "Happy New year ".
Thank you! Happy New Year.
Hi Eric... in my country with a high level of corruption, the Covid-19 pandemic has drastically increased the wealth of state officials. Of course, this epidemic has made state officials more prosperous and the people suffering more with various restrictions. .I hope that in 2022 everything will be back to normal. Hopefully all your wishes will come true in 2022. Wish you success. Happy New Year, Eric..
I'm sorry to hear that, Eliana. We've had our share of the corrupt prospering here too. Thank you for the kind wishes. I hope your 2022 is amazing! Happy New Year.
I often feel more like as a passanger. Or rather as an outsider viewer. As if this would not be me. And probably this is true. We are not really physical. We are just/only using this physical earthly body temporarily. We are in this physical world just/only temporarily. We are just/only guests in this world.
Happy New Year.
Have a nice day. All the best. Greetings and much love from Hungary.
I'm of the belief that we are both physical and spiritual...we ARE a soul but we HAVE a body. The body is like our soul's vehicle and that allows us to navigate this three dimensional/physical world. Happy New Year my friend! I wish you a wonderful 2022! Much love to you and yours.
Definitely 2021 was much better 2020, because in that year began all this long story that still has no end and it seems that much more is yet to happen. I also do not believe that behind the pandemic there is something so evil, as for example that all this (deaths, spread of the virus, etc.) has been on purpose, of course there are many things that the population does not know.
I am sure that this new year will be even better and we can grow in all areas to gradually return to our normality!
It feels that way, doesn't it? 2021 does feel better, hopefully the trend continues. I just cannot believe that there's some huge scheme to control us all, I mean what would be the point? Big tech already can track our every movement and algorithms anticipate our almost each of our thoughts already if we own a smart phone.
For me I kinda felt like 2021 has been a year where we've all tried to adjust and obtain stability, at least if not for everyone, then specifically me. As for the vaccines, i'm scared of them as equally as I am scared of the virus. I do believe we haven't heard the most shocking information regarding the vaccines and the virus, but I just feel that the world would never get back to normal for so many reasons. Billionaires have been made from the virus, while average people have become poorer, at the end of the day, its the common people who eventually suffers the effect of the pandemic even more. Nevertheless, im hoping for a better 2022, just like you. Im already working towards it, hopefully so too.
Its been a while there.
Amen @josediccus. I agree. Here's to a better 2022!
Cheers to a better 2022 then! See you on the other side
Great sentiments there. I really appreciate this post. I am fully vaxxed and boosted and I totally feel that more people should be doing that. I do have a problem with the government forcing people to though. I am not a fan of that at all. It's sad, but at this point all you can do is focus on your friends and family and outside of that you just have to be okay with the world doing what it wants.
Thank you! I"m all for choice. What I've discovered lately is some of the information being pushed by mainstream media and sometimes even the CDC is suspect and sometimes flat out false.
That is likely true. I still want to believe that people are just trying to do the best they can and sometimes they will make mistakes... I know I am probably stupid but I choose to believe that crap just happens sometimes versus there being some big conspiracy or nefarious intentions by the powers that be.
You aren’t stupid at all. Sometimes I think honest mistakes are made and for various reasons people can’t admit to them or feel as though they can’t change their stances for fear of being blamed for incompetence. I saw this happen in the corporate world so I imagine it happens in government too.
I think a lot of times too you are just in a no win situation and you have to make the best decision you can with the information available. People are going to complain and be unhappy no matter what.
I think this definitely happens!
As always, you are one of the most balanced, thoughtful individuals I know. This is a post I hugely resonate with. Personally, I don't identify as anti or pro anything, as I feel that's limiting. I've known people who automatically dismiss the potential dangers of the vaccines, as well as folks who ascribe to the more out there conspiracy theories, and I think both are dangerous paths.
See, I'm fine with people whatever they choose to do, as long as they extend the same courtesy to me, also, and I feel that's where this whole thing went wrong. I think everyone would've been more at peace now if others hadn't tried to impose their views or choices. Like politics, this is a very polarizing topic, and it makes me wonder if someone isn't benefitting from that. Not in a conspiracy theory way, just - well, there's been so much to divide us in the past few decades, it would seem someone out there wants us to turn on each other.
In any case, here's to a better 2022, Eric! :)
Thank you. I try, @honeydue. 99.9% of the time you will find that the truth won't be found at either extreme. Having a balanced perspective is getting more and more difficult and will become increasingly so with AI and deep fakes. I leaned a little more towards the liberal side in regard to the pandemic until I listened to this podcast with Dr. Peter McCullough. If you haven't listened already I urge you to. I'm all for following the science but the key is the science must be correct. Time is revealing that some of what we've been told isn't truthful.
You're right. I believe our own politicians are guilty of trying to divide us for their own agendas. Not just on this issue but many others. I just hope the general public wakes up before any more damage is done. These higher government offices mainly attract people with sociopathic tendencies and we're paying the price for that.
Let's hope for a much better 2022! Happy New Year to you.
Thank you! I hadn't listened to that. I often get lost in all the people Rogan talks to, not knowing who they are, so I tend to pick at random, or else listen to someone I'm familiar with. What a great way to start the new year!
You're welcome! It's tough to keep up with his podcast. He and Lex Fridman are my favorites now. I don't catch every podcast but try to keep up with the ones that interest me.
Wish you all the best in 2022 :)
Thank you! I wish the same to you and your family!
Thanks! :)
Thank you!
This is so well articulated and it captures my thoughts.
2020 seemed like a waste of year to me, 2021 I was somehow living in the shadow of 2020 surrounded with fear of the unknown and uncertainty about what will become, allow circumstances determine my direction and use of time.
In 2022, I walk in clarity, I maximize time and utilize it to the fullest. And I refuse to live in fear anymore.
Thank you, again.
Have an amazing 2022🎉