TV commercials of gyms and diet products abound. Top Ten lists flood the blogosphere. Dozens of montages of those who are no longer with us close every other newscast. Many of us reflect and make lists: More of these, less of those; start doing that, stop doing this. It’s that time of the year. Every twelve months we take time to reflect on what happened, and whatever we want to make happen in our future.
Two compilations that I really like this year; one from Juan Enriquez Cabot and another from Google. In his editorial in Mexico’s Reforma.com, Enriquez Cabot compiled a concise list of eight changes that happened in 2012: Mars exploration, global warming, the credit crisis in the industrialized world, criminal quantification, Lance Armstrong --the anti-hero, positive facial recognition, 3-D printing and Hispanic influence. This is a great compilation of changes that manifested in 2012, which will have an enormous impact in the years to come.
The second compilation comes from Google, which is in a unique position to identify what matters to the world. By the way we search the web, Google can identify what is important. They did this fantastic video
Google is also capturing and mapping new-year’s resolutions in its Google Zeitgeist 2012 site.
As a young kid I used to be very sentimental about the new year. It generated a sort of melancholy in me. The countdown and the idea that the old year was vanishing relentlessly produced a very sad feeling in me, which was inevitably followed by a sense of hope. The cheers, hugs and kisses that give way to the new year are always inspiring. As one cycle ends, a new one begins.
If you think about it, nothing really changes from December 31st to January 1st. Winter will continue to be with us for the next 3 months; nights will continue to be long, and days short. For most of us, our job will continue to be the same, our health will not suffer a sudden change. Our environment basically remains the exact same pace of slow and steady transformation that we’ve lived our entire lives. Yet, we stop, we pay homage and we make lists, wishes and resolutions. I find that fascinating, inspiring.
Recognizing that we live in cycles, that remembering those that have helped us get here is important. Keeping memory of what happened and how that changed the world is the only way to keep evolving, of not making the same mistakes, and to keep learning about ourselves. Feeling optimistic, recognizing our shortcomings, and being resolute to overcome them is human nature at its best. Happy 2013.
TweeksBI= “This week’s Big Inspiration.” Concepts, ideas, trends and things that I find thought-provoking.
Alex Camino
