Ten Years On

It hardly seems possible that it is already ten years since the turn of the millennium in 2000. The world has changed in many ways since then, not always as we would like, and hopefully we have changed as well, though in a way we like. We may have become more compassionate, more accepting of what is, maybe even happier or more content.

The process of becoming who we are now or who we want to be, though, is never clear. There are no 'manuals for life', despite what many say. Each person has to find their own path. And perhaps we 'find ourselves' when we realise we already are who we were born to be and not the expectations of others that we carry around like heavy makeup.

The process, as a matter of course, involves mistakes, side-tracks, hesitation, insecurity, and disappointments, to name a few. Yet it is through finding out what is not that we can find out what is. Or put another way, you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince. On a personal level, this appears to make sense, but what about on an international or global level? Are the 'mistakes' of the last ten years only the result of powerful individuals trying to find a 'way for the world'?

One thing is missing on a global level; a clear vision of what the future should hold. The politics of fear do not offer us a goal to work toward, so as a result we as a planet find it hard to achieve better international relationships, for example. In our own lives, if we do not have clear goals, then it is hard for us to achieve anything. You can't get where you want to be if you don't know where you are headed. And yes, it can be difficult as you take 'another wrong turn'.

The good news is that nothing outside of ourselves has to change, we already are who we need to be - if we let ourselves be ourselves and not follow others' ideas. This does involve speaking up, being clear about what you no longer agree to do, and not letting inertia rule the day. See yourself as you would like to be, and hold that picture in your mind as you step toward making it real.

Because one day we will wake up, it will be 2020, and we will ask ourselves, "Where did the last ten years go?"