The world needs you.

Letters from the Road 004: Am I a realist? Or am I just avoiding solutions. Problem identifiers v. Problem solvers. A Friendly Call to Action

Letters from the Road: Observations on modern life inspired by life on the road.

We tend to equate negativity with problem solving. It’s a way of tricking ourselves into thinking we’re doing something, when we’re doing nothing but making ourselves sick. And we only need to observe our emotions as we scroll on the phone, or watch five seconds of cable news.

“But hey man, I gotta stay informed.”

And yet we are informed. We’ve been informed. As mentioned in a previous entry, a better way to further enlighten ourselves is to spend more time with each other. In person, preferably. Social media is useful, but it’s not a real place.

Living in negativity is an easy way to feel like we’re not getting fooled, hoodwinked—getting the wool pulled over our eyes.  But if negativity does nothing but lead to our destruction and perhaps even in the long-run the destruction of others, then who is the fool really?

When it comes to the problems in the world, we think that by mentioning the problem—the perennial “yea but” fly in the ointment—that we are being the constructive one in the group. It doesn’t matter that we aren’t offering a solution.  We must figure, well, someone else will solve it.

Or no one will, and we can all just live on being miserable. Maybe we surrender so easily to this notion because it means we don’t have to try. Maybe misery is preferable to the risk of looking foolish in the eyes of people who actually, secretly resent themselves for not being as brave as you.  

No one is going to solve it except for those who have the guts to do so. And it isn’t constructive to just identify problems and then subsequently live in the fact that they exist.

When we identify a problem, we owe it to ourselves and to each other to put even more time and energy into finding solutions.

To put it another way,  anyone can stand on the sidelines and whine.  That takes no skill.  As a result, because it’s so easy, cynicism has become the currency of our times. Especially on social media.

We can change that.  We can decide first and foremost that it’s no longer hip to be cynical.  And be bold enough to incentivize not just solutions, but more importantly, the will to find them.

“Yea well that’s easier said than done.”

Of course it is. So what? Does that mean we stop?

We have no clue how much easier we have it today than our ancestors. It is inexcusable at this juncture in human history to simply give up.

If you’re an artist, channel the world you want to see into your work. If you’re breathing, volunteer and collect signatures or make phone calls. Vote. Or maybe run for office.

Take responsibility for what you put out into the world every day. Or better yet, to start simple, be the change you wish to see in the world.

Do you want to see more cynics? Or do you want to see and spend time with people who have ideas?

You’re here. You’re breathing. You’re alive. Please, don’t take it for granted. The world needs you, and is better with you in it.

So stop whining and get moving.

Happy New Year.