An Open Letter to a New Life

What’s next?

I’m writing this because it’s too late. Too late to go back to the old way, which is OK because didn’t the old way kind of suck anyway? And while we certainly had our chance for a better today, it’s too late for that too. Is it too late for a better tomorrow? They call this the new normal, but this sort of disaster has always been normal. History is filled with disease, war and famine on scales we can’t comprehend and have never experienced—and not just in the distant past but the present too, in places too far away for us to care. Well, it’s here now. What’s next?

Peace

Now, more than ever, we must find peace and not panic. I mean, peace has always been the answer, but it’s no longer a multiple-choice test. It’s the only choice. You can either choose peace or perish. And not just passively choose it like, ok yeah peace is the answer. You must MAKE it. Make peace. Make peace with the worsening situation. Make peace with yourself whom you’ve been fighting for too long. Make peace with your neighbor who until now was sooooo different from you, full of endless unforgivable differences. It will become obvious just how irrelevant those differences are now—keep it that way—and how profound the similarities are. Fear of what’s next, vulnerability to forces greater than your control, love for those close to you and the unimaginable possibility of losing them. Make peace with your god, your heart, your spirit, your death, because—whether in one day or one century—you will meet it.

Art

And make art. I’m not talking about finger painting and craft paper. Artists can see beyond the physical world and convey their individual experiences into a tangible form for others to experience. It can be fixed—like a statue, painting, composition, etc—or it can be in the way that you smile, share a moment with someone or practice kindness. Artists know that time is limited and that your vision will be lost forever if it’s not expressed. So, if you love someone, make an art of expressing it. You’ve ignored too many opportunities to do so already and time is ever running out. Love who you love, not with your mind, but your actions. “Not enough time” is no longer an excuse. There is never enough time—all you have is NOW.

So, do it now…express the love you’ve been holding back and see that love is an infinite well. The more you draw from it, the more there will be. Fill your cup and let it overflow into the hearts of every person in your life, for love is the most abundant and ignored resource of all. As it becomes futile and dangerous to fight for slivers, crumbs, seconds and minutes, make peace instead. Find triumph in the moment, express love and share joy. We have ignored our greatest treasures long enough, and now is the time to see to them.