Podcaster Chris Williamson reminded me today how nostalgia is always more beautiful than the present day.
And that’s why there are millions of people in Facebook communities named for eras gone by – 80s Chocolate Bars, 70s Kids, 90s TV Shows…etc etc.
“Notice that, while lots of people are happy to tell you about Golden Ages, nobody ever seems to think one is happening right now.
Maybe that’s because the only place a Golden Age can ever happen is in our memory.” – Adam Mastroianni
But is it really true we had it better in the past than it is now?
Here are some things we suffered in the past:
Deadly disease
World wars
Land mail as the only means of communication
No seatbelts in cars
Unfettered smoking, everywhere
Life expectancy in the 40s
Extreme poverty 3x what it is now
Rampant child mortality
Worldwide illiteracy
Terrible airline safety
10x more time spent on laundry
Industrial deaths 20x what they are now
Only one-in-seven adults lived in a democracy
I’ve written many times about the sheer quirk of fate that has you alive today, enjoying unprecedented comfort and security, having access to all the world’s accumulated knowledge, and with the possibility to create exponential wealth and abundance at your fingertips.
It’s time to leverage that glorious opportunity, respect the past without idolising it, and decide what you are going to do with the next part of your irreplaceable, amazing life.
If you’re open to exploring how you can push things to the limit of your capabilities this year, reply with “2025 is my year”, and I might have an idea for you.
[Space for 5 people only on a secret mission in Feb]