2012 - what if...?

It's the summer of 2011 – not long until 2012. Not long until the world ends? Well...as so often it's a matter of interpretation.

The Mayas, Aborigines, Tibetans and many other old cultures have predicted that a huge change will happen at the end of 2012. Those who look at the dark side of life fear the end of the world. Others, me included, see a necessary transformation coming – because our entire system (economy, environment, health, human relationships, etc.) is simply not functioning any more. One look at the news is enough to get an idea of how desperately we need big changes.

Personally, I am looking forward to the next months and years. I think we are living in exciting times! Most importantly, I believe as humankind we have a unique opportunity to evolve into something better. To mature as a global community.

However, recently a different thought has started to pop up occasionally – what if the doom & gloom people are right? What if the world DOES end next year? Again, being an optimist by nature I don't think so. But who knows...? It's a possibility no one can exclude.

Nuclear exodus, monster earthquakes and tsunamis, meteors from out of space, some super resistant virus turning into an epidemic, global warming getting out of control – never have there been more chances for our race to be extinguished. And wouldn't we deserve it? After all, our mere presence has already lead to the death of thousands of other species, let alone all the pollution and ruthless destruction we have caused. One has to ask – are we really healthy for the planet?

So assuming for a moment that our visit on Earth will be over by the end of next year, I wonder what I would do? With just over 16 months left, what would I still want to see? Where to go? What to do? Who to meet?
What would I change in my life? What person would I want to be?

Think about it – 16 months is not long... Is there anything you have never done but always wanted to do? Is there a place you really want to visit before you die? An old friend you want to laugh with another time? Do you long for more adventure, peace, culture or love in your life? Do you have any unfilled dreams?

If the world ends in 2012 you ain't got much time left to do it all. To live the life you want, to be the person you want to be.

And if the world doesn't end next year? Well, that's the beautiful part of the story - why don't you make them anyway, all the changes? Living the life you want, no matter if the world ends or not. Because if it doesn't end you will have even more time in the future to do great things you haven't even thought about before.

All of us, one by one, we just have to do it. Because if more people are doing what they really want to do, if more people become happier – then the whole world will become a much happier place too. An infectious feeling spreading to all corners of the globe. Imagine...

And now stop imagining! As we all know, happiness lies in our very own hands. So regardless of how much time we have left – rather than turning dreams into ideas and plans, let's live them and embrace life!

The News

“Nothing travels faster than light, with the possible exception of bad news.” (Douglas Adams)

A week after the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown I got back to Spain from a booktour in Germany. The night of my return I met with a good friend and we talked for ages about what we had been up to. After a while there was a little moment of silence and the images of the chaos in Fukushima came into my head.
“It’s crazy what’s happening in Japan, isn’t it?”
My friend gave me a clueless look and lifted his shoulders up and down.
“What’s happening in Japan?”
I stared at him in disbelief – surely he was joking.
“Are you serious? You haven’t heard about the earthquake?”
“What earthquake?”
It turned out he wasn’t joking.

I must admit that I was shocked at first. How on earth could he not know about the biggest news event since 9/11? Unless you are living in a cave in the Himalayas, I thought that the Japanese disaster was impossible to miss. But then, thinking about it further, I recalled a famous phrase: Ignorance is bliss! So while I was watching the unfolding catastrophe in the far East with great concern, my friend was as happy and relaxed as ever. He focused on cultivating his land and his only worry was that his new dog might destroy some of his strawberry plants. While the rest of the world was paralysed with fear, my friend was able to enjoy life as always.

Now, I am not suggesting that we all should become ignorant to what’s happening in the world around us. But I think the amount of news coverage we receive through modern communication systems got way out of hand. More often than not we are being bombarded with so much irrelevant information that there is little memory space left to absorb the stuff that is actually important to us. Today I read that Shakira burnt her hair in a concert – I mean, why the hell do I have to see this as a headline? On yahoo! I find it weird that somebody really thinks that the world should know about this. And I find it disrespectful to bother human beings with such crap!
However, there is something worse than this type of stupid and useless information: it’s the dominant focus on problems. Since most news are of the bad kind, we get a regular overdose of negativity.

Not that long ago you read the paper for fifteen minutes in the morning and that was it. Nowadays, with radio, television and internet it’s very difficult to escape the daily headlines even if you don’t get the newspaper. And as the world is moving faster and faster all the time, there is of course more and more new stuff happening which we are being continuously fed through the different mass media. Earthquakes, wars, economic and political crisis on all continents, spreading pollution, fatal disease and an increase in suicides – news editors are having busy times selecting what goes on the front page. Unfortunately, they hardly ever choose good news. Not because there isn’t any, but simply because the constant drama of fame and war sells much better than a moment of peace.

In summary: We receive far too much information which is a) negative and b) irrelevant to our daily lives. What to do about it? Here are a couple of suggestions:

• Reduce the amount of time you are exposed to the news. Switch off the tele and close the online news sites once you read them. Personally I want to stay informed about what’s happening in the world, but to do so it’s totally enough if I check the news once in the morning and perhaps another time in the evening. There is absolutely no need for hourly updates.
• Choose different news. Every day there is lots of really good stuff happening out there – stories that make you feel inspired rather than depressed. There are great sites which provide uplifting news from all corners of our planet. One of my favourite ones is www.odemagazine.com (for intelligent optimists), but there are of course many more. Have a look yourself – go and find some headlines which make you happy and then tell others about it!

What's important?

A few days ago I was looking at the Facebook page of my book THE LITTLE BUDDHA. Flicking through the people who have become fans I noticed that Paulo Coelho was one of them. 'That's strange', I thought. How on earth did he find me? Is he surfing the web all day looking for new books? But then I remembered that my business partner who published the little Buddha's ebook met Paulo Coelho once and so maybe he contacted him somehow. It was late at night and without thinking about it any further I posted it on my own Facebook profile: “Paulo Coelho has become fan of THE LITTLE BUDDHA FB page. About time he reads a good book...;-)“.

Yesterday I checked my profile again and I saw that many people had pressed the LIKE button. So far, so good – not that the sales had gone up, but at least the book had received some attention. Nevertheless, I couldn't help feeling that something was not right and so I went back to the fan page to have a second look. And then I suddenly burst out laughing... I realized that I had accidentally misread that Paulo Coelho is following the Facebook page when in fact THE LITTLE BUDDHA is following him. Ooops... I apologize for that.

Conclusions:

1. I shouldn't post stuff late at night.

2. Don't believe everything that you read.

3. We are obsessed with celebrities!

Interestingly, the post just before the one about the famous author was a link about genetically modified crops taking over Spain. It's a nightmare situation which is jeopardizing the future of our whole food system. The post didn't get a single hit. None! So while we are liking and forwarding stuff about celebrities, the really important things that effect everybody's daily life don't get any attention at all. Could that be part of the reason why our world is in such a bad state? We care about football, smart phones and the royal wedding, yet the real problems are almost entirely ignored.

Of course I'd love to sit down with Paulo Coelho one day and talk about books and writing, and I'd be delighted if he became a fan of THE LITTLE BUDDHA. But ultimately it doesn't matter. First, the book is doing well, with or without the support of Mr Alchemist. And second, what IS important is the food that we eat, whether it's organic and sustainable or some artificially produced crap!

So I'd like to invite you to give more attention to all the things that really matter. It's our responsibility to spread the word and make change happen!

Rain

This one goes to all of you guys who got used to reading my blog every two weeks: apologies for the silence, but two big projects have popped up and so free time has become a scarce resource.

First, I am leaving my house in the country and move back to the seaside, at least for the next few months. With all the material stuff that has accumulated over the years, that's quite a task! What's bizarre, if not weird: you spend lots of time earning money to buy all those things that you don't really need, and then you have to spend more time and often even more money to get rid off them again. What a clever race we are...

The second project is a new book that I have started to write. As a consequence I have been rather unsocial the last few weeks, hiding in my author bubble behind the computer screen. Again, apologies. The book will be great though, different to THE LITTLE BUDDHA as it will be non-fiction, but equally full of thought-provoking content. Another month or so and you will get more details.

One last thing before I go back to packing boxes: While all of northern Europe is enjoying beautiful sunny spring weather it's raining down here in Andalucía. And you know what? I love it! Having every day blue sky gets boring after a while – you actually start missing what you don't have. So thank you dear God for giving us some rain!

Radioactive times

You certainly cannot say that it's boring at the moment. Earthquakes in Burma and Japan, a devastating tsunami, nuclear catastrophe, war and riots in the Arab countries, the global economic crisis still not under control. Hard choice these days for the news editors on deciding what to put on the front page.

Here are a few personal thoughts on two current events: The war in Libya and the nuclear meltdown in Japan.
The northern African state of Libya has suffered from the dictatorship of Gaddafi for over four decades. The population had finally had enough of it and, inspired by political changes in Tunisia and Egypt, has started to fight the regime. That Gaddafi is responding to the uprising with violence and cruelty comes to no surprise. Feeling sorry for the Libyan people the NATO decided to intervene and sent fighter jets to help the rebels. Seems to make sense, doesn't it? I'm just wondering one thing: If, after last week's bomb attack in Jerusalem, Israel decided to attack Palestine again, would the NATO come to help the Palestinian people too? And if not, why not? Is it all about oil again?

Moving on to Japan, it's definitely a buzzing place to be at the moment. Today they announced that water around reactor 2 is ten million times more radioactive than normally. The situation remains totally out of control. Because of this catastrophe people all around the world, including governments, are questioning the safety of nuclear power. Is it really worth to continue with it, judging the fatal results when things go wrong?
Do we need it?
The main argument of those in favour of nuclear energy is that it's still the cheapest, cleanest and despite occasional problems the safest form of energy. 99.6 % safe I read. Now, that's indeed a high percentage. Ironically though you have a much smaller chance of winning the lottery yet people still play because they believe it's possible to win. But a 99.6 % safe reactor, well, who cares about the 0.4%? Let's rather keep the cheap energy. Isn't it fascinating how the human brain filters out everything to one's own advantage?
The problem of course with nuclear power is that if something DOES go wrong, the damage is often beyond imagination. So, is it worth the risk?
The other day I talked to a guy who said that those dangerous reactors should be far away from human civilization. With civilization he meant of course the so called developed countries. His suggestion was to put the reactors somewhere in the Sahara. Made me wonder... First, where would they get the vast amounts of water from needed to cool those bloody things, and second, why would the local Berber community have to take the risk? I don't think they care too much about electricity down there. Doesn't seem fair. So, to get that argument out of the way: if WE want cheap electricity from nuclear power stations, WE gotta be the ones taking the risk. Not others.
Regarding nuclear energy being clean, well, that depends. In the short-term, if nothing blows up, yes, it's pretty clean energy. But what about all the nuclear waste, all those used fuel rods which continue to radiate for thousands of years once they fulfilled their purpose inside the reactor? Common practice is to bury them somewhere in a big steal case. But who can guarantee that no radiation will leak over the next thousand years?
Looking at those who take these long-reaching decisions, it is noticeable that most of them are rather old – you don't become a high politician or CEO of a huge energy company when you are thirty. So these people, the decision makers, have relatively few years left to live. I'm sure they care for their families, but do they really care about the future of the planet? If they can earn a lot of money today with nuclear energy, why worrying about old fuel rods that won't cause any problems until they are long gone?
As a reaction to the events in Japan, the German governments has ordered for seven old reactors to be switched off and checked vigorously. So far so good. However, last week the German minister of economy was caught telling bosses of the big energy companies that switching off those reactors was only for tactical reasons – elections are coming up, so the public has to be told what they want to hear. How comforting having these people as leaders.
I actually think that when it comes to deciding whether to go ahead with nuclear energy or not, all people above the age of fifty or sixty shouldn't be allowed to vote. It's not their future after all, so why should they have the power to decide over it?

We are living in important times, exciting times. I really believe we have the opportunity to change and I think change is happening already. And although it is quite sad that we need wars and radioactive contamination to start thinking properly, if it means that we get our act together then at least the fighting and suffering serve a purpose.

Opportunities

1.a) A favorable circumstance or combination of circumstances.
1.b) A favorable or suitable occasion or time.
2. A chance for progress or advancement.

Life's full of opportunities. If we only opened our eyes to see them. Sometimes they come in waves, sometimes hidden and alone. But they're always there, somewhere behind the next corner, waiting to be discovered. We just need to use them.

Here's a little story (the similarity with current events in Japan was not intended, interesting synchronicity though...):

It's a stormy afternoon in a small village in northern Spain. Worrying news of a broken dam in a nearby valley have just been announced on the radio. The situation is getting quickly out of control. In his house by the river, Sebastian is standing on the balcony and is watching how the rising water is taking over his garden. Everything around him is already under water. Suddenly a man in a canoe comes by and offers him a lift to dry lands.
“No, thank you”, Sebastian says, “I have faith that God will save me.”
The canoeist shakes his head in disbelief, and sets off.
The water keeps rising, and soon Sebastian is forced to climb onto his roof. His situation is becoming desperate. Luckily a boat comes by.
“Come on”, the captain says, “we get you out of here.”
But Sebastian is not interested.
“I'm fine, I have faith that God will save me.”
The captain tries to convince him to change his mind, but without success. Just as the canoe, the boat sets off too.
About half an hour later the water has risen so much that Sebastian is standing on the very tip of his roof, with his feet starting to get wet. When all seems already lost, a rescue helicopter appears. A rope ladder is lowered, but to the surprise of the helicopter crew Sebastian refuses to climb up.
“I stay here because I have faith that God will save me”, he shouts up towards the sky.
After a few minutes, with the storm getting fiercer and fiercer, the helicopter disappears in the darkening sky.
Five minutes later, Sebastian is dead.
He arrives in heaven, where God welcomes him.
“How are you my friend?” God asks.
“I'm very disappointed”, Sebastian says, quite furiously. “I had so much faith in you, I really believed you were going to save me.”
God looks at him with astonishment.
“Well, I sent you a canoe, a boat and even a helicopter. What else do you want me to do?”

So many times we get offered a helping hand, from God, Life or simply a Friend. But we don't take it. And I think it's not that we don't want to – we just don't see it, the chance to change our current situation. And so we become collectors of missed opportunities, while complaining about the unfairness of life. It's weird, isn't it?

So, I invite you to look for all those opportunities that life throws at you, to grasp them, take them and make a change for the better.
The chance is (y)ours!

Berlin

I’ve been 12 days in Berlin now. Honouring the German in me, here are
some statistics:

Number of museums visited: 0
Number of interesting conversations: 16
Number of musicians I met: 12
Number of scientists I met: 0

Days gone to bed after 4am: 11
Days without alcohol: 1
Days I had brown rice: 0
Days I took a vitamin C pill: 9

Number of times I took public transport: 27
Number of times I entered a car: 2
Hours I spent walking: 34
Hours I spent in traffic jams: 0

What else? Well, Berlin is certainly very different to my Andalusian village where I normally live... But even looking at other major cities the German capital stands out. First, it’s much more chilled out. Looking at London or Paris for example, Berlin almost feels village-like. People talk slower, walk slower and seem generally less stressed. For any kind of art it’s a fascinating and innovative melting pot, with artists from all over the world dropping in to be inspired by the present cultural capital of the world. For how long Berlin will keep this status, I don’t know. Some say it has passed its zenith, others give it a few more years. It will change, that’s for sure. After New York, London and Barcelona the time will come when the cultural pioneers will move from Berlin to another place. But that’s the future. For now you still get that special feeling of being in a place that is leading the way.

Apart from the arts, there are also other aspects of daily life where Berlin is spearheading into new territories. Food for example. I have never seen so many organic shops and supermarkets, they’re everywhere! It’s great to see that organic food has moved from its hippie reputation to mainstream. After all, good food that is healthy for us and the planet should be used by everybody, not just by a green minority. The other day I read in a local paper that there is even a prison nearby where they get organic food. In a prison!!! In Spain, not even the fucking president eats organic food.

Regarding sightseeing, there’s really not much need for it in Berlin. Of course there are many things to visit and see, but you don’t have to enter a museum to explore the history of the city. It’s all around you! Close to where I stay, in an eastern district, there is a funky urban area and on one of the houses it says in huge letters: THIS HOUSE USED TO BE IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY. That gets you more thinking than a tour through the most expensive gallery.

Another really interesting experience for me as a German is that for the first time I am in my home country in a place where the whole world wants to go to. Let’s face it, Germany has never been a number one travelling destination. But Berlin is different. It’s really attractive, almost sexy. It’s vibrant and incredibly creative. Suddenly it has become ‘cool’ to go to Germany.

I have a few days left, so I am off now to Alexanderplatz, grab a coffee and then I jump on the U-Bahn train with all those snobs, punks, yuppies and hippies, with the locals and travellers, the Arabs and the Nazis. Cause they’re all there. In one wagon. All trying to find something in the big city.