Yes, I admit it, I’m addicted to podcasts. I listen to them while traveling, exercising, and cooking. The other day I caught episode 509 of the Travel With Rick Steves podcast while I was sweating on the elliptical machine and daydreaming about some far away tropical beach.

One of the guests on this episode had been making a trip to Russia to visit the same group of people in the same cities every five years from 1995, 2005, and 2015 and documenting the results. She mentioned that during her first visit to Russia in 1995, just four years after the Berlin wall fell, the “vodka culture” was still very much entrenched in Russian society. Most people smoked and drank excessively, health and hygiene weren’t the greatest.

She noted that with each subsequent visit there was a marked increase in hope, more industriousness and self respect, and people lived healthier lifestyles. During her last trip, in 2015, most of the younger generation didn’t smoke tobacco and the trend was to eat healthy organic foods and and go to the gym. What did she attribute this fifteen year transformation to? The improved outward conditions and quality of life helped to create hope for a better tomorrow.

I couldn’t help but draw some obvious parallels between her experience and the current sad state of affairs here in the United States. The difference being in this country the situation is rapidly slipping in the opposite direction. The concept of the American Dream is out of the realm of possibility for most. The middle class is vanishing, there is a largely ignored opioid epidemic across the entire nation, a serious heroin crisis concentrated in the rustbelt, and rising racial and religious tensions and extremism.

I’m seeing a level of political detachment in the average US citizen that borderlines on frightening. As scary as this is, I understand, as our politicians seem totally out of touch with the wants and needs of mainstream Americans. People are working longer hours for less and, after the last botched Presidential election, many have completely lost trust in the system. As corporations and banks begin to wield more influence, the avenues for the average person to change their family’s financial situation for the better within their lifetimes are growing fewer. As a result, for the first time in recent history people are beginning to lose hope.

How do we rekindle that spark of hope?

As a student of history, I believe that where there’s change there’s also opportunity. We must identify and break out of old patterns that no longer are working for the greater good and be open to change. We must engage in the political process at every level and we must embrace new concepts like cryptocurrency and blockchain that have the potential to force a societal shift for the betterment of the majority.

The more I learn about blockchain technology and experience the benefits of it in my own life, the more I understand the ways in which it will completely and rapidly change the world as we know it. As we enter the mass adoption phase in 2018 and 2019 many more people will see the light and hope will be rekindled enmasse, not only in the US but across the entire world.

The feeling of hope this will provide could be the boost that propels us to save ourselves and this beautiful planet. For the sake of us and future generations, it simply must. One of the ways I want to contribute to this is to get the HardFork series made and distributed as wide of an audience as possible.

Don’t Wait

We don’t have to wait for perfect outward conditions or mass adoption to heal ourselves. Personal evolution can also take place even during tough times, from the inside out. How is this possible? Make it a priority to take better care of you. Meditation, yoga, exercise, proper sleep, a healthier diet, and just taking a few minutes per day to decompress are all great tools to heal yourself from toxic surroundings.

In a world where it’s acceptable for leaders of nuclear-armed nations (with both prepubescent maturity levels and emotional intelligence) are trading insults on Twitter it’s important to keep the spirit of hope alive in any way possible.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Keep your heads up and take care of you.

(Gif compliments of Giphy.com)

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*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.

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