In talking with people here in the U.S. I am often flummoxed by their inability to truly understand what I am trying to promote as a new kind of lifestyle that is better that the dystopia that currently exists. Having been born and raised in the UK, I see Quality of Life (QOL) differently than most American’s. While U.S. power and manufacturing greatly influenced the world since the end of WWII, it was really since the globalization in the 1980s that the homogenization of U.S. culture into global culture started degrading global westernized lifestyles negatively; e.g., U.S. fast food, even with local nuances on the menu, appearing everywhere. For Americans that travel out of the country, and are truly seeing other cultures, there is a realization that other countries have a little more something that many Americans seem oblivious to, Quality of Life.
Don’t get me wrong, Americans know that the system is dysfunctional, but they stay rooted in their belief that Standard of Living (SOL) is somehow equal to QOL, which it isn’t, not even close. Yet it is a belief that keeps most of them trapped in a dysfunctional system, hoping that it will somehow get better if they can just elect the right person into office; and even then they hope that the system will somehow self-correct and that equality will somehow prevail, despite all the growing inequity and corruption. This is sadly true of nearly every country. What traps Americans more is that unless guided to the realization, most cannot describe what a good QOL looks like. The reason is simple. They have been so ingrained with the SOL=QOL belief that defining quality of life is like asking a fish to describe the water it swims in.
Globalization made economic sense, but it eroded QOL and community everywhere as its tendrils spread. As Spanish Blogger Rocco Pendola comments: “It’s whether ordinary life feels unnecessarily difficult — whether your environment works with you, for you, or against you. It comes down to having options — to having choice. As you can see in real time around the world, as choices decrease for a meaningful number of people, quality of life decreases for a meaningful number of people. This creates an enormous responsibility for the collective that’s difficult — if not impossible — to fully get your head around. But, at the baseline with all else equal in a discussion where all else is never equal, the hardest part is that you often don’t realize what’s missing until you’ve experienced something else.”
I was reading blogs about community and found one by Cahill Blake that said what I have been saying all along. “The challenges ahead are vast and varied. That means there is meaningful This is not a call to abandon modern life. It is a call to reclaim our role as stewards — to use our intelligence, creativity, and work for every person, every skill set, every passion. If you’re unsure where to begin, [start with the basics]. Let it be the spark that reminds you: There is no formal organization yet — because the organization is humanity itself. And every one of us is already a member.”
We start by defining QOL. Once you do, the realization is that it is about community, people and connectedness. And probably as important, it is recognition that we exist because the natural world provides what we need, and that technology used with wisdom enhances our lives to thrive with greater joy than ever before. The latch we need to lift to move beyond the isolation is a decision to compassionately embrace life, and not things per se. If you feel the overall hopelessness, it is a sign you recognize the need to change internally and stop hoping that somehow some external agency will do so. Together, let’s find our better angels within each of us to lead us down the road of hope for a better future.
Our human roots are entrenched in community. A time when supporting each other was just normal – we shared compassion, we knew the people around us. We lived a caring, sharing lifestyle with incredible quality, where joy and happiness was normal – we didn’t hope for it, it was a part of who we were.
As blogger Cahill Blake further comments, “We knew our neighbors. People shared food. Children were raised by communities, not algorithms. If someone struggled, people showed up. We are wired for co-regulation, for shared responsibility, for building together, for growing food together, for supporting one another through life. The solution isn’t more isolation. It’s rebuilding connection and culture again. But somewhere along the way, we drifted into hyper-independence, fear, and survival mode. Now people are isolated, overwhelmed, anxious, and constantly feeling like they have to do everything alone.”
To reiterate this yet again: Real human connection starts locally by meeting face-face. Online has its uses, but face-face allows you to use inherent gifts of non-verbal communication and to actually ‘feel’ the connectedness that being close to people brings. Gatherings of all kinds from community gardens to various shared spaces are so more personal than online rooms. Personal interactions allow us to share, learn, and entertain with each other. This connectedness allows us to get and offer support, to trade skills and knowledge. Community builds through participation that also builds agency and empowerment. “Fear shrinks when people know they have each other. And maybe that’s what we’re really starving for” Cahill Blake.
Until most of us make the decision to change our internal world to live an entirely different life, we stay within the psychological bars of a cultural prison. Escape is as easy as making a decision to not support war, violence, anger, fear, seclusion, isolation, inequality, and power-hungry individuals; to not choose is to stay within that hierarchically created psychological prison. Think of the quality we gain where we support each other, which thrives on living the integrity of ourselves. We all want to be happy, but spend most of our time trying to escap unhappiness. We have the focus all wrong. Just as SOL is not QOL, we need to focus on what we want, not what we don’t want.
The following is a spiritual piece that reiterates what I have said many times throughout this blog: “Imagine the world you want, rather than the world you currently live in. When you focus on anger and fear, you lose your power, and you give it away to those who want to keep you fearful and angry. You must break this controlling cycle and set aside fear and anger, especially as it pertains to other people, if you are to change the world and make it a better place. Unity is the key to the future. Stop viewing each other as enemies. Realize that you have much more in common than you have differences. Respect each other’s rights to your own views and opinions, and accept even if you cannot agree or support someone’s ideas on something. You do not have to agree on everything in order to be allies”
Do not focus on controlling others’ lives. Instead, focus on your own life. You cannot embrace joy, hope, love, and peace in your life if you take those things away from others. No matter how strongly you believe that something is right and true, you do not have the right to apply that belief to others’ lives. Shape your own life and allow others to do the same. If you are confident and comfortable in your own life, there should be no need to convince others that you are right, and there should be no need to force your choices on others. Be at peace with your choices, and do not concern yourself with others’ choices. If you feel the need to control and force others, then you are not at peace and never will be as long as that is your path.” Anonymous.
The epical Lord of the Rings is one of the most read and watched stories. What makes it so popular? It’s not about the violence and fighting (as the films portray). It’s about overcoming a great threat through the most direst of situations by making choices. One of the most important characters is not the main characters, but a ‘sidekick’ – Hobbit, Samwise Gamgee. His ‘destiny’ is not a grand, preordained role, but a series of choices to be loyal, humble, and hopeful. He sees destiny as something to be lived through service, courage, and the quiet strength of ordinary people. This is why Tolkien called him “the chief hero” because he embodies the idea that destiny can be shaped by anyone willing to do the right thing, no matter how small the act – Google. We are all Sam if we choose to be. We are not looking at the collapse of civilization, we are looking beyond civilization as a dystopia we have experienced to create a better quality world of our choosing.
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