The Story of 2024

Falling apart and coming together

Somehow I live the safest, easiest, most interconnected version of human life that’s ever been offered…And I can’t even sit on the toilet without an update about “how bad things have gotten.” That’s not because of what I ate, either.

Disclaimer: I understand that I am one of the lucky ones, born and raised in privilege of the American suburbs to caring parents. Also, I’m a straight, white, man and live without any disability. I do not discount this privileged perspective. I am grateful for my life and do NOT intend to superimpose my privilege on any other person. Every story I share here is a story of one, I intend to stay grounded in my own truth. My thoughts are meant to be the truth of one, not the “one” truth.

Even though things have never been easier for me, I still (almost daily) buy into the belief that things are scarier and more difficult than ever. The world is ending!

Even if I don’t actively seek it, a constant stream of worries are flung my way: the climate, wars, polarized politics, declining mental health, natural disasters…if we live in the same world then you know what I’m talking about (except we don’t actually live in the same world, but I’ll save that discussion for later in this post).

There’s a long list of things I’m told to be afraid of and a whole separate list of things I’m actually afraid of. Some are “rational” and some aren’t.

I vacillate moment to moment between gratitude and dread.

When I do find a sense of peace and reduced fear then I often end up questioning it, fearing its inevitable end or discarding it as naïveté.

As I experience a world bathed in fear, I wonder…what is actually going on out there? Should I be afraid to be raising my family in 2024, or should I be deeply grateful?

Let’s look at the facts…

Here are some facts about “the world” in 2024:

• A world where it’s normal for me, a father of three, to spend 80% of my child’s waking life away from them “at work.”
• A world where we pay $100+ per hour to talk openly about what we are feeling and thinking.
• A world where commercials for chemical compounds and pills are propagated and plant-based, natural remedies are “alternative.”
• A world where political parties dictate personal values.
• A world where we kill ourselves in record numbers.
• A world where spiritual practices fuel separation–us and them.
• A world in a hurry, where we struggle to wait…for anything.
• A world that ignores the life that sustains and surrounds us.
• A world of protection, even insurance companies have insurance.
• A world whose climate and biosphere is collapsing.
• A world where AI threatens to replace human thought and creativity.
• A world devoid of meaning where we spend so much time and attention on things we don’t even want or need.
• A world of increasing discord and division.

It’s obvious … We live in a world that is falling apart.

But here are some other facts about “the world” in 2024:

• A world where employers offer flexibility to employees and allow for people to work from home.
• A world where I, a father of three, am involved in my family’s everyday life: diapers, cooking, laundry, cleaning, planning.
• A world where therapy and counseling are normalized and available, even in our schools.
• A world where natural medicine is accessible, studied, and expanding.
• A world where political parties experience constant turbulence and discord as people hold true to their values.
• A world where suicide risk is taken seriously and crisis lines are open 24/7.
• A world where religions and organizations are opening their doors to all people and spiritual teachers are everywhere.
• A world where meditation apps, podcasts, and wellness courses are abundant and people are proactive in their pursuit of well-being.
• A world that more deeply understands plants, animals, and our biosphere and is sensitive to their needs.
• A world where AI offers an opportunity to expand human creativity and streamline time-wasting work.
• A world where many people make a living creating projects and small businesses with personal meaning and purpose.
• A world of increasing belonging and harmony.

It’s obvious … We live in a world that is coming together

Alright, you get the idea. It’s both.

The Story of 2024 is created by a constant collision between our limited awareness and access to infinite information. There are not just two stories of “the world,” there are nine billion.

In the age of infinite information we can create a rationale for any story. We weave together billions of bits and pieces into what feels objective and rational.

It’s like a dream where the most absurd reality feels like a complete story that we accept at face value…until we wake up. To the dreaming version of us, it made all the sense in the world. Our “dreamer” consciousness generated a sensation of cohesion and consistency.

Our limited awareness, our little spec of consciousness, is a master story teller. It’s job is to make this wild reality feel cohesive and consistent–filtering billions of photons, sound-waves, threats, thoughts, sensations, posts…this list of potential inputs could fill all of Medium and break the internet, and I don’t want to do that so I’ll stop there.

In 2024 it’s not the story we’re told that dictates our everyday thoughts, beliefs, and actions … it’s the story we choose.

I know you may be thinking … “hold up, I did not choose war, or political division, or natural disasters … or any of this blankety blank that’s going on!”

That’s not what I’m saying.

I’m saying that our access to infinite information, all the time, puts the ball in our court. We become the director of the “story of the world” through our beliefs, intentions, and limited awareness.

It’s not the world “out there” that is creating our stories, it’s our existing beliefs that set the stage, build the set, design the costumes, and cast the characters.

If we already believe the world is falling apart, our attention and limited awareness reinforce this belief–burying us in more fear. There is an infinite amount of information available to build a cohesive story around this belief.

If we already believe the world is coming together, our attention and limited awareness reinforce this belief–freeing us to offer love and trust. There is an infinite amount of information available to build a cohesive story around this belief.

I choose to believe that the world is coming together because I choose to live in a world of trust and love. It’s not the “right” choice, or the “better” one, it’s just my Story in 2024.

Which story will you choose?

This was originally posted on my Substack: The Story of One, Every One. May our connections expand and our compassion deepen. May we build communities and systems based on harmony and resonance. May our love become unconditional. May we heal and align our mind, body, and spirit. May we turn within for guidance and raise our awareness. May we follow our unique path of fulfillment. May we honor our once-in-a-lifetime story, accept our limits, and love our here and now. May we resonate with a higher way of being. May we become one, every one.