For this weeks #TBT (Throwback Thursday) I’m sharing a post that I wrote at the end of 2012. There was a lot of conversation around fear and the end of the world. With the social climate going on from US elections, to terrorist threats, to the global economy the same conversations are coming up again. Which I felt made this post just as relevant today as it was 4 years ago. Enjoy
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.
—R.E.M., “It’s the End of the World as We Know It”
Well, here we are. 2012. Our last year on earth. Doomsday prophecies are of course nothing new: There have been thousands over the centuries. And the fact that you’re still reading this shows that not one has come true yet. That doesn’t mean the world won’t end someday, of course, but how much stock should we put into apocalyptic predictions? What do they tell us about what we need to do today?
Let’s assume the world is going to end on December 21 this year. What would you do differently? Spend more time with your loved ones? Focus your time on what really matters to you? Would you do everything you’ve always wanted to do but have been putting off?
What if you did all those things and the world didn’t end? You’d probably be a happier, more fulfilled person. You would realize that you really can have meaning and success in your life. You really can accomplish anything you set your mind—and soul—to do.
But there’s a dark side to this as well. You probably wouldn’t start anything long-term, like a new business, and you might even jettison your existing business or career—not a bad idea if you’re unfulfilled, but a terrible idea if your sole reason for doing it is your belief in an impending doomsday. You wouldn’t have any reason not to spend all your savings, or to take care of the planet. The whole concept of “sustainable”—whether we’re talking about success or the earth—would be irrelevant. And this is not even getting into the people who would live the entire year in fear of The End.
But what if the world isn’t going to end this year? What if the Mayan prophecy is wrong? What if it’s not actually a prophecy at all? According to archaeologists, the Mayans never did predict the end of the world in 2012. This simply marks the last year in their long count calendar, much as December marks the end of our calendar. Once one calendar ends, you start the next. They just viewed time with a far longer view than we do today. The year 2012 is the end of one very long cycle that is followed by the next long cycle. It is not a time of endings but of beginnings, of rebirth, renewal, a fresh start on a grand scale. It’s not the end of the world. It’s the end of the world as we know it.
This means that this is the year to prepare yourself and lay the groundwork for a new era, to awaken the visionary voice inside so that you can lead yourself, your loved ones, your business, your world into a new Age of Greatness. Let’s take our cue from the Mayans and see the big picture. Let’s transform our lives in ways that transform the world for seven generations to come.
Yes, spend more time with your loved ones. Yes, focus on what really matters to you. YES, do what you’ve always wanted to do but have been putting off—not because the world is going to end but because you are just getting started.
What would you do if you knew this was your last year on earth?
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