Gain and loss in every decision
In one of the episodes of “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey”, Neil deGrasse Tyson said something interesting that I want to repeat to make a point.
He said that when we turned on the electricity in our homes, we also turned off the night sky. The stars that used to guide us on our journeys, in our lives, were dimmed when we turned on the lights.
The point I take from this is that you have to sacrifice something to gain something, and my question is, do we really understand what we’re losing when we choose to leap forward?
Life at the speed of light
We now live in a world that values speed above all else.
We would rather have a pizza delivered to our door in 20 minutes than stand in the kitchen for an hour cooking something.
We would rather have a product that is 60 percent functional than wait for the complete product to be released.
Our decisions have become quick and reckless because we think this is the way life should be these days, no time or reason to invest in a long decision making process.
All people living in modern western democracies are part of this race that never ends, the world is trying to convince us that there is only one speed to live in, the speed of touching everything but satisfying nothing, the speed of light, the key phrase on everyone’s lips is “time is money”, you also hear a lot “no time for anything”.
Processes of great importance in human life are now organized in short sprints of execution. The world of software, the world of processed food, the world of pharmaceuticals, the physical products we consume, the electrical devices we live with on a daily basis, are all being developed in short sprints, ignoring many flaws in order to make them available to us in the fastest way possible, because this is the way we choose to live.
What did we lose?
I can start with a short list, but I’m sure I’m just scratching the surface.
Human observation used to be an important part of our lives, our ability to stop and analyze our lives, where we are, where we wanted to go, is this path really serving me or maybe I should try to change? There is no time for that at the speed of light.
Deep and meaningful gazing. This may sound strange at first, but there is a great deal of research that shows that simply gazing into nothingness from time to time rewards us with many physical and spiritual benefits.
Focus and concentration, once key players in our life decision making process, are hardly ever present.
Safety and vigilance in the products we use every day, whether they are software, pharmaceuticals, food, consumer products, and so on.
The sacredness of the family institution. One of the most important aspects of our lives has always been family. Family always came first, no matter what. Family time was sacred. Today, I know so many parents who have given up so much quality time with their children in the race to bring home more money. You can even argue that it was not the parents who raised their children, it was someone else, be it the grandparents or a kindergarten teacher. Does it really matter? I think I’ve made my point.
Mental Health. Feeling part of this never-ending race leads to exhaustion and mental instability. Many people who are part of this race want to get out but don’t know how, which leads to severe mental health problems.
The power of this moment. Many ancient cultures and beliefs speak of ‘the power of this moment’. The first that comes to mind may be Buddhism, but the list is long if you choose to research it. I have researched it deeply and learned to practice it with time, to live a life in a moment in time. It is a mind blowing experience that changes our whole perspective in life, it is actually the exact opposite of what the western world is preaching these days. It is one of those things you can only talk about after you have experienced it. There’s no time for deep and spiritual experiences when you live by slogans like “time is money”.
What can you do to change?
People often need guidance in such processes. It is not an easy task to change your life, to take back control, to not be part of the race, to be the master of your own time.
I would recommend a guide, and not just any guide. My brother Eedan found out at some point in his life that people naturally come to him for help in various matters.
He recently decided to offer his guidance in these matters. He is one of those people who just connects with people on a higher level, something I am not.
He can guide you through this process of taking back control of your life if you choose.Here is his website: https://www.eedanga.com. You can contact him through the website if you’re one of those people who are confused, lost and looking for a new meaning to your life.
Stay educated,
Aviram
