Written by: Michael Taylor, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
If you ask most people if they are optimistic or pessimistic about the future of humanity chances are the majority of them would say they were pessimistic. The reason for their pessimism is pretty obvious. Simply turn on the news and it’s easy to see that the overwhelming majority of news stories are pretty negative and also extremely depressing.
This is the primary reason most people have such a pessimistic view of the future.
At the time of this writing, some of the headline stories include the global pandemic of the coronavirus which has taken the lives of millions of people around the globe and caused an economic collapse of economies around the world, which continues to be a leading story in the news. And then there are the stories of police brutality and racial unrest which has been the center of attention for the past couple of years after the brutal killing of George Floyd. And let’s not forget about the insurrection attack on the US capital building in which the foundation of our democracy here in the US was under attack.
Based on these stories alone, it’s no wonder most people are living in fear and have such a pessimistic outlook about the future.
But is fear and pessimism really warranted? Is the world on a path of decline and destruction, or, is there another perspective that is more positive and optimistic?
I choose the latter! As a matter of fact, it is my belief there has never been a better time to be alive on the planet than right now. But how can I say that? How can I conclude that the future is brighter than most people think when there is so much evidence to the contrary? Am I in denial? Am I out of touch with reality, head in the clouds liberal, who refuses to see all the problems in the world?
To answer that question let me share my personal story of how I became so optimistic.
At the age of twenty-three I was living the American Dream. I had the house, the wife, the 2.5 kids, the vacations, and the 401K. By society’s standards, I was successful. Within a 6 ½ year time frame, my American Dream turned into the American Nightmare. I experienced divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure, depression, and being homeless for two years living out of my car.
During the darkest period in my life, I received a miracle. I was sitting up late one night because I was too depressed to sleep. I was sitting at the edge of my bed staring across the room at my bookshelf when I noticed that every book on my bookshelf had something to do with getting rich or making money. As I stared at the books, this question just popped in my mind; “Michael, what if you took all of the energy and effort you’ve used in trying to get rich and simply figure out how to be happy?”
As simplistic as that question may sound, it literally changed and saved my life in an instant. I really can’t explain it, but all of a sudden my depression lifted and I had this amazing clarity that I was going to be able to rebuild my life and it was going to become extraordinary! As a result of asking that question, I stopped reading books on getting rich and making money and I began reading books on psychology, philosophy, spirituality, metaphysics, quantum physics, and personal development.
As a result of my commitment to my own personal growth and transformation, I was able to rebuild my life and I have now created my version of an extraordinary one. Of course it hasn’t been easy and I’m definitely still learning and growing, but I can honestly say in this very moment as I’m writing this, I am happier now than I’ve ever been in my life.
As I reflect back over my 30-year journey of transformation, I have come to the conclusion that my life journey is a metaphor of how the Universe works. Let me explain what I mean.
There are Universal laws and principles that govern the Universe. When we learn to accept these laws and apply them to our lives, life becomes miraculous. One of those principles is called the Breakdown Breakthrough Principle. Simply stated, every breakdown is simply preparation for a breakthrough. If you look throughout nature you will see this principle in action. For example, think about a woman’s pregnancy. For nine months a woman is the incomplete breakdown as a single egg and sperm unite to create a new human being. It’s been said that giving birth is possibly the most painful experience a human being can have and yet that pain is surpassed by the pure joy of giving birth.
And what about the amazing miracle of a tree? Think about the beautiful and gigantic redwood trees that begin as tiny little seeds no larger than your fingernail and grow into some of the largest and most majestic trees on earth. It can take years for the root system to grow before the tree breaks the surface of the ground, but that breakdown period prepares the tree to become the magnificent expression of nature it was created to be.
On a more personal note, my divorce and being homeless were extremely painful and devastating. However, I now see them as the breakdowns in my life which were preparing me for the breakthroughs I am currently experiencing. As a matter of fact, I can now see how my divorce was the absolute best thing that ever happened to me. If not for my divorce I would have never become an entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker. I would have still been trapped in an unhappy marriage working a corporate job and being absolutely miserable. But my breakthrough resulted in me finding my passions and my purpose and also finding the woman of my dreams who I have been blissfully married to for the past 19 years.
This leads me to my reasons for optimism about the future of humanity.
First of all, I believe there is a Divine Intelligence that created and is still creating this amazing Universe we live in. This intelligence knows exactly what it is doing and its ultimate intention is to create heaven right here on earth. I believe humanity is currently in a major breakdown but we are being prepared for a major breakthrough. One of my favorite mentors is a woman named Barbara Marx Hubbard and she theorized that human beings were still evolving. She stated that we are evolving from Homo-Sapiens to Homo-Universalis and this evolution in consciousness is going to lay the groundwork for creating heaven on earth.
This is my primary reason for optimism. I believe in Divine Intelligence and I believe in the perfection of the Universe.
I’m also optimistic because of my own life experience. As a man who happens to be black who was a child of the sixties, I have very vivid memories of racial segregation and the racial hatred I experienced growing up. I once had a gun put to my head by a racist white kid who said he hated niggers and he threatened to shoot me simply because I was black. All of my life I’ve dealt with racism and yet I still remain optimistic about race relations in America and around the globe.
From my perspective, the progress we’ve made in this country in my short 60-year lifespan is definitely a reason for optimism. If you will accept Barbara’s theory of human beings still evolving, human beings have been evolving for more than 250,000 years so the progress we have made in my 60 years tells me we are on the right trajectory to heal the majority of racial challenges we are still dealing with. It may appear to be a slow process but when you put it in the context of eternity, 60 years isn’t even a blink of an eye. I personally do not believe race relations are getting worse, we simply get to see more stories of racial tension because of television and social media. This does not deny the systemic racial systems and policies that still impact people of color today, it simply shares a different perspective on how to view them.
What also excites me about the future is the advancement of technology. As I look at things like electric and autonomous cars, 3D printing, drones, gene editing, 5G networks and upcoming space travel, I am filled with optimism that humanity is actually positioned to overcome a large percentage of the social ills that currently plague our world. But in order for everything to work out, we must come to the understanding there really is only one race, which is the human race and when we learn to accept we are all the same then we can come together to make sure the future is brighter than you think.
So my question to you is, are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future?
Be optimistic!
Michael Taylor, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Coach Michael Taylor is an irrepressible optimist with a passion for the impossible. He is president and CEO of Creation Publishing Group and is the author of 10 books designed to empower men and women to live extraordinary lives. He is the host of 3 podcasts, (A New Conversation With Men, Don't Believe The Hype, and Shatter The Stereotypes) and host 3 television channels on the Roku network.
He was featured in the bestselling book Motivational Speakers America with legendary speakers Les Brown and Brian Tracy. He has won numerous awards for his dynamic speaking style and says being on stage speaking, lights him up and ignites his soul.
When he isn't speaking or writing books, you'll find him hanging out with the love of his life Bedra, who he has been blissfully married to for 19 years. His hobbies include going to the movies, listening to old school 70's and 80's soul music, and reading Calvin & Hobbs comics.
