A wareness

F reedom

R ationality

E thics

S implicity

H ealth

M indfulness

E xperimentation

A brief manifesto of change

Positive change, whether it happens on a personal, national, or global scale, begins with awareness.  If we are to actualize our innate potential, we must first learn to differentiate between the forces holding us back and those that serve to elevate us into the realm of virtue.  To be aware is to establish an intimate understanding of the cause and effect chain that rules every corner of humanity.  We must not only know when and how we are acted upon, but when and how we are acting upon others.  Only those who are truly aware of these often subtle relationships can lay claim to personal freedom.  Freedom is every bit as much a concern for the mind as it is for the body, every bit as much an internal struggle as an external one.  Those who exercises their physical liberties, only to submissively sacrifice their minds, cannot be called free, at least not in the most truthful sense of the word.  The United States is a country with a proud history of defending freedom, often to the death. Great men have fought valiantly to protect this collective ideal on which we were founded.  The best way to honor this struggle is to shed complacency and dogma in favor of activism and rationality.  The challenges of globalization can only be matched by solutions born of sensibility, compassion, and humility.  If we can teach ourselves to be the rulers of our own minds, we will remove the temptation to be the ruler of other’s.  When human beings are at their best, they are both individually autonomous and ceaselessly diligent in protecting the autonomy of others.  Those most worthy of admiration are men and women who understand that this truth is a cornerstone of ethics.  These people are acutely aware that the fight for freedom in our country did not end in 1865, that the 21^st century is only the newest front in an eternally evolving conflict.  We live in an age that is more riddled with moral concerns than any that preceded it.  Recognizing this, the responsible citizen seeks means by which he can rise to the occasion and thus respond to the call for solutions.  The ethical concerns of our day are often issues of over-consumption, therefore the answers may very well lie in a return to simplicity and moderation.  Too often we assume that complex problems can only be met with complex solutions, thus, lacking confidence in our ability to deliver, we meekly raise the white flag and surrender to forces we perceive to be incomprehensible, and therefore indomitable.  This retreat is not only critically dangerous for the well-being of a nation, but also entirely unnecessary.  How does the ant colony build its intricate empire of tunnels?  One grain at a time.  One individual effort after another.  So too will the world end its plunge towards disaster- one simple and ethical personal choice at a time.  Acts of individual progress are only mistaken as small or insignificant when considered independently.  The truth, of course, is that righteousness perpetuates righteousness, and the culmination of individual decisions is what will inevitably make or break the entire system.

One individual effort paramount to societal progress is a devotion to physical, spiritual, and intellectual health. It is difficult, if not impossible, to contribute to the health of the collective, if we are not first determined to maintain health at an individual level.  The truth is simple enough- we are best suited to help others live well when we are living well ourselves.  Being “healthy” means so many things to so many people, but we can say with certainty that any true definition of the word begins with mindfulness. Mindfulness is the trait that describes a person who maintains a keen awareness of the present moment. These people understand that each one of their waking seconds affords them the opportunity to have an impact on the health of their mind, body, and society.  Mindful people recognize the beauty of slowness and the wisdom in careful deliberation.  It is in the vastness of the present moment that clarity and transparency are rooted.  This is a place where rationalization and impulsivity cannot dwell, a place where we come face to face with our thoughts and behaviors.  When we are mindful we cannot help but honor our virtues, for the guilt in doing otherwise would be unbearable.

We are an imperfect species at war with the shortcomings of our evolutionarily unprecedented brains.  If we are to rise together, we must champion a culture of experimentation.  Revolutionary ideas are sparked by the most daring experimenters, men and women who not only have the courage to break with tradition, but the humility to admit when they are wrong.  We modern Americans would be well served to mirror these virtues.  Now is not the time to be entrenched in the misguided priorities of the past.  Never before has so much ridden on our innovative spirit.  Never before has there been so much at stake.