the point of looking back

At the culmination of a capricious year, it is hard to shake the desire to crane our necks for a sneak peek of what could possibly be waiting around the corner. Most of us, whether we know it or not, seek an exit strategy of one kind or another from the madness. Whether we are nostalgic for easier times, ready to revolt at full pelt or somewhere in the middle, one thing is for sure: we are ready for the new, the fixed + the functional.

What is less certain, is how it will happen.

There is a point to looking back. Reflection is a birds eye view of what has changed, and what has not. It shows us what was worth our time and where we unnecessarily dicked around. Hindsight informs us of how things could be done better next time. Catastrophic for the ego, it keeps us the perpetual student + makes us wiser. And, in a world obsessed with relentlessly charging forth, carving out time to reflect on anything tends to feel somewhat counterproductive.

But it is not.

In the creative process, looking back is critical, because to know where we are going, we must know intimately where we have been. This is how our story, warts + all, becomes etched deep into the bones of our art. Our humanity is not a trophy wall of all the excellent things we achieve, but is dotted intermittently with our fallible, cringeworthy fuck ups. And to fail to acknowledge our wholeness unfiltered, is to miss the point entirely.

The marketing campaign for the pandemic has proven to be a stellar crusade. And while we really should get their business card for when we decide to deal with the other pandemics of cancer, diabetes, suicide, domestic violence, homelessness, environmental destruction, sexual assault and human trafficking, perhaps we can take a moment to appreciate the remarkable force (and funding) that has backed this campaign to override law (+ lore), separate societies, coerce and colonise billions of people, eradicate nuance and inquiry, undermine the voices of many and senselessly instil fear.

At this mark on the timeline, the privilege of silence wears thin. We no longer find the same comfort in distraction, because the background noise of our intuition + integrity is steadily LOUDER. The cacophony of government balderdash feels less like hope, and more like an obvious perpetuation of madness. And, we realise that a world that is narrow minded in perspective, absent of nuance and cruelly controlling in nature is no longer a world - it is a colony.

Here is the holy ground where one may become fluent in doublespeak, or exit the carousel altogether.

We are rewiring for a new world. 🌎

And if you don’t feel fancy + positive + light about that, it is because anything this epic takes WORK. A step towards faith + love is also a step towards sacrifice. There is no insurance. It is a leap. You’ll have to source new foundations for the road ahead and you’ll discover them in the depths of your heart, soul and nature.

Start there, I guess.

But for now, keep your eyes, ears + heart OPEN. Because exciting things are happening.

The world is changing. 

Brand new conversations are being birthed. Communities are forming. Localised living is becoming more commonplace. People are changing careers, growing food and keeping their children closer. Joy is infiltrating. Health + vitality + quality of life is being redefined. Sustainability is being prioritised. And we are learning that love and connection are required to be woven into the fabric of all that we do. Because otherwise, all of this is pointless.

So, thank you and fuck you to the fresh hell of 2021, because it appears to have been part of our rite of passage towards brighter days to come.

May we raise our frequency above that of propaganda. May we tune in to the intuition + intelligence that we were born with and tune out the fear, hatred + polarisation. May we remember that those in power are not necessarily the best decision makers for our lives + the lives of our children, but that WE ARE. Let us keep close to our hearts a clear and beautiful vision of an upgraded way of living, and let us take steps toward it.

But every once and a while, let us look back, so that we can be grateful for how far we’ve come.

❤️