The New Normal

The more critical reason dominates, the more impoverished life becomes . . . . Overvalued reason has this in common with political absolutism: under its dominion, the individual is pauperized. - Carl Gustav Jung in the Zen Calendar (June 13, 2002).

Day 211. I just snapped a whole bag of fresh green beans, and it made me obscenely happy. Sometimes I can be so Zen.

I have no memory of reading tonight's quote originally, but it is, after all, eight years old. I like it a lot. Figures, since I love Jung. Brilliant mind and vibrant soul housed within the same body. Remarkable. The quote sparks laser beams of inspiration for highly intellectual blogs. Instead, I will tie it in to a stimulating session with a client today. I have been a bit out of balance with the time and energy I've devoted to the blog lately. Obviously, my ego hasn't vacated entirely, because I feel more self conscious about my writing now that there is evidence someone is actually reading this stuff. I would like to embellish the image that I just whip these grammatically sentences out in no time. Alas, that would be a flagrant falsehood. Sometimes I agonized over a single sentence for a really long time. Maybe I'm not a real writer after all, even though I have begun to consume the occasional caffeinated beverage. We'll know I've arrived when I possess a lap top and am hunched over it in a public place drinking something dark and strong smelling. I will keep you posted.

Several clients employed by the university have informed me of the dismal news that the upcoming fiscal year will involve serious budgetary adjustments. I assume they mean in the direction of less rather than surplus. Tonight's client referenced the phrase "a new normal" in the context of what the future holds regarding economic matters. It was thought provoking. She had heard mention that, even with some economic recovery and the eventual cessation of a formal recession, the financial climate and institutional policy and attitude regarding money have been irrevocably changed. I agree. Most of us now know what the word "bubble" means outside the context of frothy baths and soapy entertainment for children.

I have always been intrigued by the time lag between when influential change is actually occurring and human minds and psyches finally register, accept and adjust to it. The bigger the change, the longer the lag. So much of middle and upper class attitude and behavior surrounding economics appears to be a couple of decades (or more) old. It wasn't that long ago that the world had 3 billion people in it rather than 7 billion. It wasn't that long ago that economies were, to a degree, less globally intertwined. It wasn't that long ago that billions of dollars could not exchange hands in nanoseconds over wires smaller in diameter than a strand of human air. The times, they are a-changin. Our paradigms for resource distribution and the attainment of wealth will have to be reconfigured. Prepare for a New Normal.

For a couple of years, I have questioned the assumption that economic downturn can only be configured as a disastrous thing. Mass media certainly depicts it with a unidimensional slant. I know people need jobs. I know our economy has, historically, been based on capitalism and copious, conspicuous consumption. Our culture has become dangerously myopic. We have difficulty formulating even hypothetical alternatives to material wealth to gauge our nation's well being. Forget happiness, virtue, ethics, maturity, altruism, connectivity, creativity, resourcefulness, resiliency, and spiritual evolution (not to be confused with devolution) as indicators of progress in our country. We need to own more! Bigger houses! Shinier cars! Floatier boats! Purses and shoes that match!

I hope the New Normal broadens the scope of how we conceptualize wealth. I hope, as a nation, we configure a paradigm of well being that includes aspirational ideals and the myriad intangible facets of being human that make life worth sticking around for. Otherwise, we will remain pauperized as individuals.

I know practicing Metta meditation is broadening my definition of what makes me prosper. So far, focusing on loving kindness towards myself and others feels dependably recession proof. I am glad I am Buddhist. I am glad my math skills include the simple arithmetic of scarcity. Both serve me well as I carve out a new paradigm. I'm not just preparing for a New Normal. I'm shooting for a New Optimal.

Gassho
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