Homo Deus; A Brief History of Tomorrow, by Yuval Noah Harari
“Each and every one of us has been born into a given historical reality, ruled by particular norms and values, and managed by a unique economic and political system. We take this reality for granted, thinking it is natural, inevitable and immutable.
“We forget that our world was created by an accidental chain of events, and that history shaped not only our technology, politics and society, but also our thoughts, fears and dreams.
“The cold hand of the past emerges from the grave of our ancestors, grips us by the neck and directs our gaze towards a single future. We have felt that grip from the moment we were born, so we assume that it is a natural and inescapable part of who we are.
“Therefore we seldom try to shake ourselves free, and envision alternative futures.”
We can’t know how tomorrow will look. Before Model T’s showed up few believed the horse-drawn carriage would disappear. Or 25 years ago in Blockbuster’s heyday, who knew they’d vanish – and we’d have #NetflixAndChill? What’s next? Land lines, keys; cash? Who’s next? Cashiers, taxi drivers; the mail man?
No doubt someone’s screaming that we’re losing the precious good ‘ole days! Good for who? Him? Her? You? Me? Nostalgic longing. Think – were those days really happy? Or is that just a story we tell ourselves?
When I reflect on how humanity is simply subjective experience – and what that actually means, I can fall into a funk – in a hurry. Mostly though I’m swept up with everyone else and believe the story of today. Stories give us meaning; they unite us. Yuval Noah Harari says: “All large-scale human cooperation is ultimately based on our belief in imagined orders.”
Let’s imagine what lies around the corner . . .
If we must have our stories . . . let’s dream big and envision an alternative future worth living.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
“The past gives you an identity and the future holds the promise of salvation, of fulfillment in whatever form. Both are illusions.” – Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now
IMAGINE – John Lennon
Yes – on occasion acceptance of things I can’t control is appropriate. Do I have the wisdom to know the difference between the things I can change and those I can’t? There’s a prayer for that!
Recently my Flipboard Newsfeed brought the Feb 2016, Time Magazine article 
Last December it caught my attention that Saturn was moving out of Sagittarius into Capricorn. Saturn was in Sagittarius when I was born and again during a massive life changing period (for me) 28 years ago. It takes 28-29 years for Saturn to come full circle – spending ~2-1/2 years in each sign. Saturn is an important planet. It represents the lessons we have to learn – cycles of achievement and maturity; personally and collectively. According to Wikipedia, Saturn 
Astrology once had my full attention – prompting me to have my natal chart professionally cast 28 years ago. Everything was mapped . . . the position of planets by sign and house at the time of my birth; planetary aspects; Ascendant, Descendent, Midheaven and Nadir of my chart – the whole shebang. Back then knowing my potentialities comforted me as I tackled those internal and external obstacles.
Hell No – no soothsayer was gonna to tell me I was doomed to flounder! Recalling the lines from a poem I learned as a kid (
Those thoughts – they keep me chained to my ego. They harden me. The need to be right – to believe that the miniscule sliver of knowledge I possess is better, more important; superior to anything anyone else may know or believe. It’s easy to harden; to think I’m all that. A rigid stance must break if real change is desired.
It struck me this morning how brutally judgmental I can be toward my younger self. Told some friends at lunch the other day that reading through my 30-year old journals was exhausting … as the old me was a sad and pathetic character. They laughed at my melodrama – but HELL, I was being serious. It would be better if I wrapped a mental arm around that hot young mess and told her everything was going to be okay. Instead I’m shaking my head and rolling my eyes. Harsh.
My journal review project is showing me that I fell down over and over AND OVER again. Newsflash! I will fall down again. In those days my youthful optimism – or artless gullibility, propelled me forward. Every face plant gave way to a new scheme from new age mysticism, religious devotion to psychological theories.
I was that child’s clown bop bag – always popping back up. A rebound for every fall. Luck, grace or providence spared me, as the extent of my recklessness; willful or unwitting, was epic.