The Only Direction We Have to Go

A few brief thoughts on hope, hardship, and the future

One year ago, I was in Denver, Colorado attending FNCE, the annual dietetics and nutrition convention which hosts over 10,000 participants from around the nation. For personal reasons, I was not able to attend this year’s convention in Minneapolis. But consequential of that conference, my day has been filled with communications from students, friends, and colleagues in attendance, the result of which influenced me sufficiently to put a few thoughts to electronic pen and share this post outside of my normal publication schedule.

The day started relatively early, and thanks to the two hour time zone jump of my colleagues, so did the messages. Specifically, one of my students (who is a Jew) messaged me about mutual connections they kept running into at the conference. But later, our conversation eventually turned to this student sharing thoughts about the war in the Middle East, specifically how it has been one year since Hamas, a terrorist organization, launched a guerilla-style invasion of Israel and massacred thousands of innocent Israelis. Our conversation prompted us both to reflect on how actions that are physically distant to us can still shape and influence our actions and mode of being.

Later, while driving in my truck, I listened to a short video essay where the host discussed the concept of dystopia, and argued how a civilization which invests in children is a civilization which believes in a future. So if material progress is observed, but needs are invested in adults, what does that say about a civilization? Even though his thoughts turned pessimistic about present circumstances, I found his reflections poignant, especially in regards to present circumstances, both individual and population-level.

Finally, after arriving to my campus, I received an impromptu visit from a student. Small talk about the weekend proceeded to in-depth thoughts about this student’s present reflections and future prospects in the profession, both for herself and her classmates.

As you can tell, the gravitas of each of these instances fluctuated on a wide spectrum — at some point, an analogy on Batman was interjected — but each offered unique reflection on a significant question that I often think about.

It is, what does the future hold, and what role do I play in it?

So here are a few scattered thoughts for any that are at present thinking about this, and whatever your circumstances, perhaps something shared here will offer relatable context.

First, the conversation with my student about the Israel-Hamas war. I am not a Jew, neither religiously nor ethnically, and as such don’t carry any immediate familial investment in the conflict, but I watch it carefully and offer unapologetic support for Israel and its right to exist. In our back forth conversation, my student shared the following that I thought was wise:

“…You don’t compromise your morals for someone else even when put under enormous strain, because it would make you no different from the enemy. A friend of mine… literally wanted to destroy the region because of what was done. He’s since changed his stance because that would make Israel the same through an atrocious act.”

We all bear witness to events every day, both those that directly involve us and those which do not. Though our actions don’t always play a part, how we process and make sense of those events can play a role in shaping our character. My indifference, my love, my apathy, my bewilderment, my peace, or my support can ultimately shape how I act. If there is any truth to the book, As a Man Thinketh, the seeds of action are sewn in the mind. So as a general rule, and as my student’s friend wisely stated, consider what you allow yourself to think. Whatever you set your thoughts upon will eventually manifest in your life.

Then there is that video essay. I am consistently bewildered at the world I live in which simultaneously demonstrates tremendous progress in material improvement, but is also filled with hardship and forlorn feeling. The world of today is arguably advanced in so many ways. It is truly difficult to comprehend.

We live longer than ever before.

We have more food than ever before.

We are more educated than ever before.

We are wealthier than ever before.

However, thanks to digital communication and global connection, you would almost think the lever on “crisis mode” had been jammed in place with the handle removed. War abroad, conflict at home, major flooding and destruction, risings costs, and a host of other struggles have some people visiting therapists with all the regularity of a trucker visiting a gas station.

How to reconcile this conundrum; evident material social gains that coexist with deteriorating social well-being. It is not an exaggeration to say that the poorest income decile of today (lowest 10% income earners) experience a quality of life that exceeds the richest kings and emperors of yesterday. Despite this, there are people who literally live day to day, following a routine and never asking themselves why. They lurch forward, not so much with purpose in mind, but pursuit of the next thrill that makes them feel… anything. People who hurt, who need more than just entertainment or a larger check. Material gain has still left us with social pain that needs to be addressed.

That is not to say that all of us should not be trying improve our station or that of our neighbors and communities. We very much should be. But how do we fix the problems that don’t appear to have a monetary cost attached to them? What even are those problems?

That coincides closely with my impromptu conversation, about a student just wanting to know what the future holds for her. Here, I do not pose any questions, but a few points of counsel as seems fit.

Everything. The future holds everything for her. For you. For me. It is the only direction I have to go, and however the civilizational deck is stacked against me, I press on.

But here’s the rub. Pain and hardship need not be the inevitable destination despite the circumstances. Life can start to blossom within the soul who can firmly recognize the hardship, and consequently, calmly, willfully navigate their way forward. But you will never see this blossom if you surrender your future to the dictates of circumstance. Within social media circles, I see a few individuals who wag the finger of derision at “society” for failing to comprehend the barriers and structural deficits which people may experience. What these individuals conclude, most of whom seem to possess a fairly tenuous grasp on their own mental health, is that everyone around them (except themselves) is responsible for these social ills. You have nothing to complain about, is a rebuke they offer not in the spirit of compassion, but of moral condemnation.

As I said in a previous post, it is rather difficult to build a better future if you carry it’s ugliest parts with you. If all you can do is reflect the social ill you experience, I fear what your future ultimately looks like.

But it need not be so.

Whatever your particular struggle is at this moment in time, whether that is needing more money, more time, or more friends, consider this as well. How can you make more of yourself? How can a good purpose and rooted belief in a better life drive your thoughts, your words, and your deeds?

If I’m completely selfish, that is what I ask of others. Give me more of your best qualities, to the formation of your best self. Be careful in how much you let the world change you, and consider how much of the world, however small, you can change.

The future is bright. So keep going.