Each generation doubtless feels called upon to reform the world. Mine knows that it will not reform it, but its task is perhaps even greater. It consists in preventing the world from destroying itself. Heir to a corrupt history, in which are mingled fallen revolutions, technology gone mad, dead gods, and worn-out ideologies, where mediocre powers can destroy all yet no longer know how to convince, where intelligence has debased itself to become the servant of hatred and oppression, this generation starting from its own negations has had to re-establish, both within and without, a little of that which constitutes the dignity of life and death. ~Albert Camus (Nobel speech, 1957)

Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose. ~President Lyndon B. Johnson (Thanksgiving Day speech, 1963)

The huge Barnes & Noble, a staple of my neighborhood and one of the anchors and few big bookstores left in Manhattan, has closed its doors after 21 years. This follows a pattern of many other longtime rocks and havens in my ‘hood: the diner, a dry cleaner, two grocery stores, the nail salon, even my super — most of which had been there two decades or more. So many other businesses have vacated the premises over these past several years, only to make way for yet another bank, chain drugstore or fancy condominiums I’m not sure who can afford. Yes, this has been the trend of the Big Apple as it changes and mall-ifies, and people, including some of my friends, if they stay in the area, have been fleeing to greener, and/or less expansive pastures in places like Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, New Jersey or Westchester (forget Brooklyn at this point!).

I have gone through some pretty major life changes over the past couple of years, and these disappearing touchstones of “home” have compounded and affirmed the sensation of being reincarnated in the same body, and feeling like I’ve moved without actually having moved. The surroundings are familiar but feel different; sometimes it’s like being in one of those dreams where everything is a bit topsy-turvy.

Oh yes, and then there is the political landscape … . Never before in the history of this country (need to fact-check, but am pretty sure) have we participated in and witnessed the slow dismantling, unraveling and unhinging of our government, culture and citizens at large, mutating into an almost unrecognizable caricature of our former selves. It’s been a rude awakening for many in this nation that racism indeed still exists, and that being born a certain color can in fact determine whether you live or die in even the most benign of situations; that gun violence and extreme masculinity, rampant impropriety, dinosaur consciousness and medieval principles are coming out of the shadows and are alive and well, kicking and screaming, trying to hold on for dear life as the future marches on at an ever-increasing pace.

And in this digital landscape — where things are warped, exaggerated and regurgitated ad nauseam — we must be careful of how we relate to life, to become mindful of when we are living more online than off. What are we doing? We must be hyper-aware of and ever vigilant about when we are letting outside influences, the manipulation of media and/or external distractions affect our ability to think for ourselves and control our most precious resources of time and energy. We must be the producers of our own plots and storylines in which we are the writers, directors and stars.

The advent of virtual reality and its widespread use in a variety of circumstances will confuse our brains even more in distinguishing time and place, and what is real or not. But remember, you also create your own virtual reality, for example, when you are thinking of something that has already happened, your brain cannot tell the difference between present and past, hence you re-experience those memories and emotions as you replay them over and over. And because those experiences were more than likely the negative ones, you are constantly re-injuring yourself, causing unnecessary suffering and a skewed perception of your actual current state of being.

As the saying goes, like death and taxes, change is one of three things that are certain in life. But more recently we have been living through big upheavals and endings, not just of chapters, but of eras. Therefore, now more than ever, letting go of the past is one of the most important things you can do in order to adjust to and situate yourself in this new uncharted territory. You must liberate yourself from the chains of the past and be fully present as to what your reality is today — whether you chose it, or like it or not — before you can start to build, create and expand within this newfound orientation.

Who do you want to be as we move forward in this new era? What do you want to accomplish? How do you want to live? Are you at least living in your own body? Can you get so comfortable in your own skin and inner being that you could be plopped down in the middle of Mars and still feel “at home”? It’s important to spend a little time pondering these questions and sowing the seeds of their eventual harvest that will come days, months and years from now.

Just as we are all going through an accelerated evolution as individuals, so is our country and the world, which is why so much upheaval and chaos abound; gotta clean out the junk in the basement and attic and do some demolishing before you can remodel … . And just like that process, we can remember, incorporate and/or hold on to the good and let go of the bad.

It’s time to get back to the essentials of why and how our country was created: what we stand for, who our founding fathers intended us to be and what they hoped we could accomplish as a nation. In so doing, we must recognize that a nation is comprised of people, and therefore it is people who are entrusted with doing the right thing, making big decisions, coming up with solutions to problems, and then allocating the appropriate resources to take care of and protect its citizens — which is the sole purpose of government.

No doubt we need to change as a country, but what is the thoughtful approach to that process? It’s not a shocking headline, clever meme, funny GIF, or a superficial spouting of patriotism; there is real work to be done, real structural changes that must happen, and most importantly, a genuine cultural shift and unification that needs to coalesce. But how do we do so without throwing the baby out with the bathwater? In other words, how can we help the country reincarnate in its own body, its own basic framework, while recognizing, mitigating and/or eliminating the inconsistencies of our past declarations, deeds and demonstrations so that we grow wiser and stronger?

Yes we should all vote, but there is more we can do, which may or may not involve running for elected office. We all have a part to play in restoring dignity to our democracy and society at large, and in preventing ourselves from imploding. We have more power when we acknowledge and assume responsibility for our own lives, and the part we play in improving them for those around us, because we are all in this together. That may require us to take time away from Facebook or bingeing on the latest Netflix series, or at least learning to use them in a productive, balanced and constructive way …

And so my fellow Americans, my plea to you today as we rapidly enter this new era is to express yourself as positively as possible and develop your fullest potential, which will indirectly, or perhaps even directly, develop and express this country’s potential, and set our course, and that of the world, in the right direction, lest we will very soon be dealing with even Stranger Things.

Not sure what star or stripe you have to contribute to this terra incognita? Give me buzz, I’ll help you find, inhabit and make your true Home on the Range the best it can be, so that collectively we can make Our House a very, very, very fine house.

I recently read that “a person’s success in life can usually be measured by the amount of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.” Many people begin the year by starting a new exercise or other routine that can have them feeling sore or out of sorts, and doing this with your patterns of interaction and communication can also reap rewards. Like any muscle, growth happens outside of your comfort zone.

Maybe that uncomfortable conversation needs to be with your boss, that contact for your dream gig, your partner, a parent, your neighbor, that cute guy/girl you’ve been eyeing, that celebrity you’d love to talk with, or just putting yourself in a foreign social situation.  But it’s also that honest conversation you need to have with yourself in order to face the reality of your life as it is versus the way you’d like it to be – because the one common denominator in your life is YOU, and taking responsibility for why it is the way it is is paramount, if not always pleasant.

The good news is that by chatting with yourself on a regular basis, you can know what changes you need to make to move your life closer to your ideal!

Not quite feeling it? I say, “Fake it till you make it” and remind you that, like Einstein said, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” So if things aren’t going your way, why not try a slightly different approach from your usual MO? Or you can go whole hog and be like George Costanza in the Seinfeld episode where he does the exact opposite of what he would normally do, to some hilarious effects and success!

So this year resolve to have those challenging conversations, not care what people think, try new things without worrying whether you’ll look foolish, stand out in a crowd, and be OK with not being perfect. (Well, those were some of mine…just insert whatever makes you uncomfortable!)

Wondering how to get from here to there? Give me a buzz and I’ll be your personal trainer to stretch those inner muscles, help you have that heart-to-heart with yourself, and make your discomfort as comfortable as possible along the way!

Mental happiness is total relaxation.~ Yogi Tea

Just as I was going to work on this PGG, I made myself a cup of tea, and out of any message I could have received on the little tag, I got the one above. Thank you Universe for confirming what I am about to write!

I’ve been through a lot these past few years, and my closest friends wonder how I manage to exist and do the work I do. My response is always that I practice what I preach, and there are many tools in my toolbox; I use them all, but one of the easiest to access, yet hardest for many people to apply, is the simple act of doing nothing.

When I say nothing, I mean NO THING. No doing, no thinking, no feeling (unless they come up), no reading, no TV or movies, no music (well, sometimes soothing music), not even meditating: JUST BEING. You can do this on your couch, in your bed, on the beach or in a park; you can sleep or doze or just be in a neutral state in whatever space you’re in. It’s about taking a conscious time out on all levels to let your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual batteries recharge. It’s been my best medicine to remedy all that I’ve gone through and is better than any other food, drug or other substance – and there are no side effects or hangovers!

My guess is lately you’ve probably felt like a warrior on the battlefield of stress, combating what feels like all the forces of nature against you. So think about it – even if you haven’t been physically straining yourself with a sword and shield somewhere, (and perhaps even getting enough sleep), you have been exerting yourself on levels you might not be aware of and it takes its toll nonetheless. Hence the rest.

Most people only rest when they are forced to due to an illness or trauma to the body. But we also need to shut down after a period of mental and/or emotional turmoil, sustained physical exertion or sensory overload. Especially if you are an introvert or an empath, it’s easy to become subconsciously overwhelmed by so much coming at us from the outside, whether electronic ions, ubiquitous wi-fi, sound waves, disturbing images and picking up other people’s “stuff” in and around your environment.

Mind you, this is not being lazy or sick, and I’m not even talking about catching up on sleep (although that is critical if you need it); I’m talking about simply resting on all levels, and giving your body quality time to process, catch up, heal on subtle levels so you can keep on keeping on in the most healthy way in mind, body and spirit.

Usually I will use this technique (lately it’s been staying in bed all day, but even a couple of hours is better than none) after a particularly stressful experience to mitigate the effects of what I had just been through; other times it is more like a preemptive strike that my body intuitively knows to do to prepare for the challenges ahead. And it’s not every week, or even every month, just when I need a stronger dose than my daily repose, depending on whatever is going on in my life – it’s a free, immunity-boosting powerhouse that reduces any potential infirmity, and makes my mind clear and my energy able to handle whatever the task at hand may be, rather than slug through endlessly never feeling productive or operating at my fullest.

BTW, I’m sure there are scientific studies about this. For one, just think about when you exercise a certain set of muscles at the gym – the advice is always to have one day off in between for them to rest. That’s how they get stronger. Then there is the wisdom of oh so many traditions, which suggest (or mandate) some form of a Sabbath – because even God had to rest! But whether you are religious or not, it means you are consciously setting aside time to commune with your SELF.

Many folks can’t sit still for five minutes, let alone even consider spending an entire day in bed if they are not sick (or have some other condition like depression or ordered by a doctor). Because of our always on, go-go-go society, at first it’s easy to feel some sense of self-imposed guilt for not crossing out items on your To Do List or the FMO that comes along with shutting down; or you might think it’s some luxury you can’t afford. Start where you can, for however long you are able.

Think of it as being internally productive, as most healing we can’t easily see or perceive as it’s happening – like when we get a cut or break a bone that magically gets better – and know that the investment in downtime saves you time and increases your external productivity in the long run. For instance, instead of squeezing out whatever you have to do on fumes over 8 hours feeling burnt out and suffering, use those 8 hours for quality rest FIRST, then bang out whatever you need to do in a very focused, refreshed and flowing 1-2 hours. Try it, you’ll like it!

In our increasingly stimulating world, most people are being controlled by their technology, rather than them being in control of it. Besides the daily grind of commutes, work and other obligations, there are always challenging cycles of adversity and intense situations to endure. It is essential to disconnect in order to process your activities and their impact, to sort out your subconscious and integrate all you experience. You need to be able to hear your own thoughts, feel your own feelings and think for yourself.

We must make a concerted effort to create the conditions to receive inspiration, download waves of creativity, have those ah-ha moments, problem solve and brainstorm new ideas. When you make rest an integral part of your life, you will find you can be more patient with family members and friends, spouses and significant others, kids and coworkers; you’ll able to listen more effectively, be present and have more empathy with ourselves and whoever we are with, and the world around us.

The more you develop and heed your resting muscle, the more you will be able to listen to your body – its infinite wisdom knows what is best for you at any given time. Heed that wisdom and your body will reward you. You will feel more centered and alert and will naturally make you more confident, and yes there is something to what they call “beauty” sleep!

The bottom line is that we must impose our own YIN to our very YANG culture at this extraordinary time in history that is demanding our attention with the steady stream of stimulation, distraction, transition, emotional porn and more we are subjected to 24/7.

Due to this reality, it seems as if everyone is dealing with some level of fear or anxiety and feeling frazzled or out of control. Unchecked sleep deprivation and/or incessant stress on our minds and emotions can permeate our daily lives in insidious ways you might not realize because at this point you’re so used to it! However, when we’re well-rested we see things more clearly and have the strength and wherewithal to handle whatever comes our way, rather than become ill or hopeless and/or explode in some inappropriate manner which could harm yourself or others physically and/or emotionally. And, if you rest on a regular basis you won’t need to binge eat/drink/whatever, and might not even need to take a vacation!

The Roman poet Ovid so wisely wrote, “Take rest; the field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” Want to make sure you have much to harvest throughout the year? Gimme a buzz, and I’ll show you that when you make time for rest, you can be assured that life will be bear fruit in every way!