Where we are going, how far we have come...
It's that time of year again, chocolate in every conceivable form is flying off the shelves and most of us seem caught somewhere between panic and confusion that it is pretty much April already. Religious or not, Easter, has become a cultural norm in the Western world, and it’s this point in the calendar where we can consider what value it might add to our lives. Whether you engage with the background story or not, the essence is for the most part about renewal – new life – and hope for the future. Which seems like something worth grabbing with both hands. In this, the month of March 2018, you could be forgiven for looking at the headlines and thinking there’s not so much to feel hopeful about; not a lot to look forward to in a world that seems constantly on the brink of disaster, be it natural or man-made. On personal levels we are touched, sometimes slammed, by the chaos – a friend diagnosed with cancer, a colleague losing a child, a work contract that won’t be renewed; then we dare to glance at the news only to be horrified by the prospect of nuclear testing, power-crazed politicians and starving children. The 24-hour news cycle means there is little reprieve from sorrow and doom. But this is the precise moment in which we should pause. Be still. Collect ourselves. Because, in fact, in the big picture, things are better at this moment than ever before in the history of our little planet. True, poverty, sickness and conflicts continue, but also true - our progress as humankind is nothing short of phenomenal. In his recent book, Enlightenment Now, Steven Pinker writes an amazing defense for the heroic leaps and bounds taken by humanity, which we often take for granted. In many places in the world, peace and prosperity are growing: babies can expect to live for eight or more decades, medications can cure us and relieve our pain, food is available in excess, we touch a button and light appears or clean water flows, the world’s repository of knowledge is accessible in our pocket, and we are able to flourish. Of course, there is still great and tragic suffering, but ideas on how to reduce it are being voiced, and as Pinker writes, “an infinite number are yet to be conceived”. The world will never be perfect, but there is no limit to the progress we can make if we have the will to extend our knowledge and apply our compassion beyond our immediate circles. So, this is what we are concentrating on this Easter at SproutMojo. Not some wishy-washy ‘let’s all think happy thoughts and cross our fingers that tomorrow the sun continues to shine’, but some genuine acknowledgement that there is a lot of good happening out there, that we all have every reason to expect more good things to come and that it is in us all to be part of the progress. We can live safer, learn more and contribute better than ever before. We might be doing it a bit different to you – we get it, not everyone is into quirky, mismatched socks that give the wearer a little reminder of how awesome they can be -but the world needs a bit of everything to keep turning. If you have some quiet time over the holidays, we hope that you can remind yourself and be proud of what you are adding to the story. Gratefully yours, Thane SproutMojo Co-Creator