The Paradox Of Our Time – And Thanksgiving

In this week’s Success Newsletter, I would like to like to share an essay, “The Paradox Of Our Time” originally titled “The Paradox of Our Age” and reveal its meaning and significance not only to your daily life but also to Thanksgiving.

First a quick update: 

The Breakup Quiz

Are you heartbroken, angry, lost, lonely, confused, depressed, or pining over your ex? How would you like to benefit from personalized advice, action steps and revelations? Take my Free Breakup Quiz and get your own personalized report.

Now, What Really Matters To You?

The Covid-19 Pandemic has disrupted life and the world with losses, confusion, instability, uncertainty, lockdowns, mandates, illnesses and deaths. At the end of your life, what will you regret? Will you regret what you did or what you didn’t do?  Watch the video

“The Paradox Of Our Time” originally titled “The Paradox of Our Age” – its meaning and significance not only to your daily life but also to Thanksgiving.

Yes, it is Thanksgiving. And that implies lots of food, family gatherings and of course, arguments and disagreements – usually about unresolved resentments, expectations not met, and significant and insignificant things.

And the end of this essay, I reveal the real author; no, it is not the Dalai Lama, George Carlin, a teen who had witnessed the Columbine High School massacre, nor Anonymous.

We have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider freeways but narrower viewpoints; we spend more but have less; we buy more but enjoy it less; we have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, yet less time; we have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge but less judgement; more experts, yet more problems; we have more gadgets but less satisfaction; more medicine, yet less wellness; we take more vitamins but see fewer results. We drink too much; smoke too much; spend too recklessly; laugh too little; drive too fast; get too angry quickly; stay up too late; get up too tired; read too seldom; watch TV too much and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values; we fly in faster planes to arrive there quicker, to do less and return sooner; we sign more contracts only to realize fewer profits; we talk too much; love too seldom and lie too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space; we’ve done larger things, but not better things; we’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less; we make faster planes, but longer lines; we learned to rush, but not to wait; we have more weapons, but less peace; higher incomes, but lower morals; more parties, but less fun; more food, but less appeasement; more acquaintances, but fewer friends; more effort, but less success. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; drive smaller cars that have bigger problems; build larger factories that produce less. We’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, but short character; steep in profits, but shallow relationships. These are times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure and less fun; higher postage, but slower mail; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are days of two incomes, but more divorces; these are times of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, cartridge living, throw-away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies and pills that do everything from cheer, to prevent, quiet or kill. It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stock room. Indeed, these are the times!

The real author of The Paradox Of Our Time

Although this essay has been falsely attributed to various people, its real author is Dr. Bob Moorehead, former pastor of Seattle’s Overlake Christian Church. Its original title is “The Paradox of Our Age”, written in 1990 but published in his 1995 paperback book, “Words Aptly Spoken” – a collection of prayers, homilies, and monologues from his sermons and radio broadcasts.

The Meaning And Significance of The Paradox Of Our Time

For me, every paradox of our time that Dr. Moorehead cites, can be attributed to one theme, one thing: values; group values and individual values.

What are your personal values? What is important to you?

How do you spend your energy and time?

Do you place your focus, energy and creativity on developing healthy values?

I understand you are going to reply, ‘Who decides if my values are healthy or not?’

Good, healthy values are the values that you can achieve internally. These are the values that are socially constructive, based in reality, and most of all, of which you have control over.

At Thanksgiving, you have the power of choice, the power to choose what is truly important to you; do you choose peace or being right? Do you control yourself or try to control others? Do you choose forgiveness, compassion and connection or judgement and vindication?

“And when nobody wakes you up in the morning, and when nobody waits for you at night, and when you can do whatever you want. What do you call it, freedom or loneliness?”

Charles Bukowski

If you or a friend need help to set yourself free from the past, from pain, abuse, hurts or disappointments, do what so many others have done: Resolve it rapidly and be set free of the pain by experiencing my SRTT process. Book a one-on-one session with me.

You can add to the conversation below.

I wish you the best and remind you “Believe in yourself -You deserve the best!”

Patrick Wanis Ph.D. Celebrity Life Coach, Human Behavior & Relationship Expert & SRTT Therapist