They say "it's darkest before the dawn." Is this always true?
Does there have to be a dark period before prosperity comes? And does prosperity always follow darkness? Doubtful.
But like I always say, your belief systems don't have to be true necessarily. They have to be useful. At least, they have to be useful if you have any hopes of getting what you want.
I've talked about the 'sky is falling' narrative more times than I can count at this point, but I have to keep talking about it because the outrage peddlers keep getting stronger by the day. This time, they actually have some pretty solid evidence.
We're going through a global pandemic right now. Cases are surging, economic prospects are looking bleak, and there's nothing but uncertainty heading into the end of the year. Then, we have politics. On top of that, we have a media hell-bent on exacerbating the issues as much as possible.
What should you personally do? Who should you believe? Should you believe the sky is falling or should you believe we're approaching dawn?
You already know my answer, but let me elaborate on the reasons behind my convictions.
Prediction: We will enter the roaring 2020's
After World War I and the Spanish flu pandemic, we entered a period of economic and cultural prosperity called the roaring 20's. After having gone through such a tragic period, people were ready to live again. And after the economic peril caused by the war, the economy was ready to bounce back, too.
After our pandemic is over (it will end at some point), I suspect the same thing is going to happen. We're going to enter a period where a certain section of the population will experience the best decade of all time.
What evidence do I have for this?
I'm not a scientist, an economist, or a sociologist. I'm just someone who looks at the trends I see in society. Prior to the pandemic, I saw certain trends that favoured a certain type of person.
If you're in this group of people, you're going to experience one hell of a decade because you're going to be in a position to ride these trends:
- Decentralization - The gatekeepers can't control all of the power in society anymore. The barriers to entry in so many fields are non-existent. With nothing more than a laptop or a smartphone, you can be the owner of your own company, You Inc. And this is exactly what the smart people are doing.
- Connectivity - You now have access to damn near anyone in the world. If anything, the pandemic accelerated the advancement of ideas like remote work, the gig economy, and the new entrepreneurial employee who contracts with many companies. Decentralization plus connectivity means more autonomy for individuals. Again, you want to be on the right side of this equation.
- Information - You can learn how to do damn near anything these days. If you can create your own self-directed education, display your knowledge and competence somehow using technology (You Inc) and connect with the right people, you can build your own mini-empire.
That's the goal for you now, a mini-empire. You just have to be smart enough, skilled enough, and technologically capable enough to slice off a tiny, tiny bit of the economic pie for yourself. And there will be plenty of opportunities to do so, as long as you're on the right side of the equation.
How to be on the right side of history
Remember the point I've continued to hammer home over and over again. Society will split into two camps -- hyper optimistic, tech-savvy, and self-directed vs hyper pessimistic, slave to tech, and reliant individuals.
All will benefit from the advances we make in the next decade, but only one side will realize it. Everything is going to work out just fine. Compared to previous generations, all things included, everything is fine. But you have to be able to see the truth for yourself.
Unfortunately, there will be some people who experience mental breakdowns, anxiety, and major levels of stress during the most prosperous time in the history of humanity because they're brainwashed by the media, politicians, and the pessimist culture as a whole.
But, there are a lot of us who are bullish about the future. It's on us to lead by example. Let's use the present moment, the next week, the rest of the year, 2021, the rest of the decade, and the rest of our lives to show other people how it's done.
I just feel something in the air. I feel an awakening. I have this strong conviction that a large portion of society is just done with the pessimistic outrage culture nonsense. We're ready to take control of not just the discourse, but our own lives. Personal responsibility is making a comeback and technology is pouring gasoline onto that fire.
Many of us have spent the past year not just coping with the present moment, but getting better. When the conditions are back to normal, we're already going to have momentum. The golden age is upon us.
There are no limits on what you're capable of doing with your life. There used to be. Feel fortunate that you live in a gatekeeper free world where you have so much access to education, technology, and other people that your limits and oppression are almost entirely psychological.
Don't let the naysayers and the outrage peddlers fool you. They are running out of time. They are in the final death spirals, lashing out because they are losing power over us.
It's our time now. Let's show everyone what's possible.
