A bright future or all doom and gloom?

At the start of every New Year the Doomsday Prophets seem to have a field day predicting another year of innumerable calamities including wars, economic meltdowns and diseases. Don‘t be fooled. Despite all the bad news we are living in incredibly exciting times. Compared to a century ago life has improved on practically all levels.

All is a matter of perspective and as we enter 2024, I would just like to share just five breakthrough good stories from 2023:

The world is making much faster progress in replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, driven by simple economics and energy security. In 2023 low-emissions power is expected to account for almost 90 percent of total investment in electricity generation, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).Some significant breakthroughs have been achieved in medicine. One example is a technology called CRISPR, a gene-editing technology that can exploit the inherent mechanism of the virus immune systems in bacterial cells. It also holds the ability to extract the infected DNA strands as well. With its help, the most severe diseases like cancer and HIV can be treated. CRISPR was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in December last year.In June, researchers unveiled a comprehensive atlas of the lung, compiled from studies of 2.4 million cells in 486 people and highlighting cellular features common in cancer and COVID-19. In October, the largest-yet brain atlas was released, including more than 3,000 cell types, some of them new to science.Great strides have also been made on producing foods that feed a higher number of people with less of an environmental impact. Animal-sourced foods like meat, seafood, egg, and dairy products are already being replaced with next-generation plant-based analogs that accurately mimic their properties.Millions of people around the world don‘t have access to clean water.  Lifestraw Max may be a solution. It strips water of bacteria, parasites, and viruses. The system attaches to an existing water supply. It cleans 40 gallons of water in an hour.

If you have access to fresh water, electricity and modern health care you are today living a life kings and queens in the Middle Ages could only have dreamed of. In those days many a young life was cut short by a minor wound, infection or childbirth. The average lifespan in the 15th century was between 30-40 years compared to about 72 today.

Despite favorable statistics, individuals often perceive their personal situations as deteriorating compared to their parents’ lives. The increasing complexity of our world, marked by rapid social, economic, and other challenges, leads some to seek simplistic explanations. Nostalgia often paints the past in brighter hues than its reality.

We have reason for optimism in 2024. There will be good days and bad days, as in every year. Your thoughts and beliefs determine and construct your subjective reality. With truth under constant bombardment in a world of information overflow, you need to stand guard at the doorway of your mind. You are a compilation of your relationships and what you feed your mind with. As yourself these three questions:

Is the information really true and who said it?Does the source have a good reputation or an ulterior motive? Is the information from a source of wisdom that elevates my consciousness to a higher vibration.

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.