Warmth & Wonder

Aug 3

We live in interesting times. Since 1994, our planetary population has experienced the largest scale J Curve in human history.

For those not indoctrinated into the investment community, J Curves represent a period of costs and expenses without any revenue, which takes time to catch up. Said differently, an investment today that pays off further out in the future. That return on investment curve slopes downward, is in negative territory, and then starts climbing over time.

Sounds a bit like the AI build out, eh?

But what I’m talking about is something more expansive. The sheer and utter disruption that was created with the internet. We connected an entire planetary population for the first time. We experienced the inner workings of each other’s minds when the filter was removed in a face-to-face setting, were bombarded with negative news and conflicts seemingly everywhere.

Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s all going to work out. And work out better than any of us could imagine. But there’s a big if in there. It only works if we don’t blow each other up, emotionally, physically, technologically, etc.

It’s up to us to shift the vibes and pull ourselves out of this planetary-scale depression.

You know what helps? A little music. A little bit of memories. Look back at 1994, for instance. The vibes were positive, and after quite a bit of research wondering why that particular year was so impactful in our lives, it was because it represented the precipice upon which our society shifted from analog to digital. 1994 did that.

The media of the day, at least in America, was the heart of rock & roll. Huey Lewis & The News. Bruce Springsteen. Detroit auto manufacturing. Nintendo 64. Seinfeld, Friends, ER. Forest Gump, The Lion King, Dumb & Dumber, The Shawshank Redemption. Kirby Puckett’s I Love This Game. Michael Crichton movies. Spawn comics. Michio Kaku’s Hyperspace.

What a time to be alive. The warmth. The wonder.

We did that. Us humans! And you know something, we can do it again.

We just gotta agree on the right North Star, and start lifting our own spirits on this space ship.

Our vote for the North Star? Warmth & Wonder.

Why? Cuz it just feels better.