Clearly there is nothing new about the new year.

Man (emphasis on man) continues to kill man in the name of peace.

The environment continues to be destroyed in the name of development.

The rich get richer, while the poor get poorer in the name of that's just the way it is.

Swamiji Yogananda, using firmer words than usual, once said that "a single thought of worry is offensive to God."

A single thought.

Will I be OK?

How is this going to end?

What if...?

What happens next?

Perhaps he was so firm because of what the thoughts entail.

I am in control of my life.

What's the difference between you and me?

We may appear to have certain differences.

Appearance. Likes/dislikes. Predispositions. Relative intelligence. Age. Etc.

But beyond the apparent differences—which do have a certain degree of validity—there is essential sameness.

“Just look at us. Everything is backwards; everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroys information and religions destroy spirituality.” — Michael Ellner

These are the broad brushstokes for the state of the majority of human civilization.

And I saw him smiling at me.

"It's you, don't you know. It's you."

Everything in your life at the same time is both unimportant and important.

All of your problems, your past, your dreams, your accomplishments, your relationships, all of it.

Unimportant.

Because they are not real in the sense they are permanent and here to stay.

They will all, one day, fade to black.

Everything with a beginning has an end.

We act like they are.

If only mother weren’t so X, then I’d be X.

If only dad didn’t X, then I wouldn’t be so X.

It works in the future tense too.

Parents have one primary responsibility and it’s a big one. To care for your biological well being, in other words... to keep you alive.

If you are alive and reading this post, your parents did their job.

The definition of a negative feedback loop.

Man creates harmful, unnatural product.

Man liters harmful, unnatural product.

Chicken eats harmful, unnatural product.

Man eats chicken.

Maybe we need to get this right first before anything else?