Are We There Yet? vol. 192

A friend of mine forwarded me a newsletter written by Peter Diamandis. Dr. Diamandis and Dr. Ray Kurzweil formed Singularity University years ago. SU’s mission statement reads, “Better leaders for a better tomorrow.” His newsletter, The Tech Blog, is about technologies that are creating an abundant world. As you can imagine, he’s a pretty optimistic guy, and the piece forwarded to me was specifically about why he is optimistic. But what struck me most was the way he used perspective to set the tone for his optimism.

I think we all have to constantly remind ourselves to have the proper perspective when we face struggles and challenges. I know that I do, and when I can gain the proper perspective, the struggles and challenges often turn into opportunities or, at the very least, make me less anxious. 

He noted that amidst all of the struggles we face right now—wars and conflicts, political strife, economic worries, AI taking over, etc.—we have to look at where we were not too long ago. Looking back to the beginning of the last century, 123 years ago, people didn’t have electricity or automobiles. They didn’t have computers, smartphones, DoorDash, or Google. Life expectancy was just over 50 years, and hundreds of millions of people died in wars, pandemics, and famines. But through all the pain, hardships, and struggles, our standard of living and life spans have increased dramatically as we have innovated and collaborated to progress.

We shouldn’t minimize our struggles and challenges, and each of us has our own set of personal struggles and challenges for which broad human progress may provide little comfort or relief. But taking the proper perspective can help us to de-stress a little and move forward with solutions. Happy Thanksgiving.

Take care and stay safe.

VIDEO:

This Way Up (Hulu)

Created by and starring award-winning comedian Aisling Bea, the achingly funny and deeply moving comedy series This Way Up follows the quick-witted Aine (Bea) as she tries to get her life back in order and regain some semblance of happiness after suffering a nervous breakdown. Fresh off a stint at a rehab facility, Aine struggles to keep it together for the sake of her anxious older sister Shona (Sharon Horgan), who remains acutely concerned about her younger sister’s well-being even as she grapples with a messy personal life of her own.