What's old becomes new

There is little that is truly new in this world. For example, many see "mindfullness" as some new(-ish) great mental oasis of the 21st century. In reality, the concept of deliberately paying attention to the present to achieve peace and live well was delved into by ancient Greek philosophers and likely even by others before them. It just seems like a new trick to life-long happiness, but it’s not really. It was always there.

There is no need to go to great pains to reinvent the wheel. Life is crazy and complex, but the answers are almost always quite simple (not be confused with easy, mind you) and always have been there all along.

Look at the myriad of information problems we face today. Technology, algorithms, misinformation…the particular problems are new because they come from a day and time that has not ever been before. History repeats itself, but only to a point because the context is different. That’s the fallacy of saying, “When I was your age…” or “Back in the day…” The context in which today’s problems present themselves are different. However, the solutions….the solutions are still the same.

There is no getting around that overcoming the complex social and technological problems we face will be tough, but if we strip away all of the bells and whistles, we find that the answer lies in solid, basic knowledge. When we are able to truly learn and become empowered with knowledge, we can continue to build upon that knowledge for the rest of our lives. Being information literate is really just a way to learn about learning. Learn how to learn, apply and repeat. No amount of coding or repackaged tricks for success will replace the power of being a life-long learner.

The power to take charge over our lives does not lie in some sort of new advent in artificial technology. The power lies in people.

I don’t have a shiny new wheel to give anyone. All of the great leaders, teachers and motivational speakers aren’t telling you anything new, but…BUT, they ARE saying it in a way that you haven’t heard before. Or, you did know at one point, but forgot. Or, no one ever told you before and so it sounds news. No, I don’t pretend to have anything new under the sun. What I do have is a way to help you take charge of your own learning. I can tell you in a way you haven’t heard before or maybe you never heard it before and so it’s new to you. Use it to navigate the Internet, start a new venture or just be a better human being. The great thing about being empowered is that you then have control.

I just want to help you get there.