EVOLVING PARADISE BY RICHARD KRENT, AIA

Think of what you need to do to evolve your own facet of paradise. You are in the heavens. You just need to realize it. Listen to your heart and create the path to paradise. It's up to you!

Yes, still writing, I started it in 2001, and hopefully, I can finish up soon… the title is evolving paradise. Hopefully, these writings will lead to a movie and TV show on how we can make our planet a true living paradise. This is an example of the universe we are just starting to truly explore. Take your next step and start to build a better world around you and reach out beyond your personal world and engage with others so that together we can do more for those we care about.

Humanity has so much potential, and in many ways, our world is already such a wonderful planet. I hope this book helps humanity see what it could become and motivate people to evolve into human beings and work more collaboratively to build a better life for all life on this earth. Hopefully, we will take the next step in our journey through the heavens and start to understand our universe.

There are so many wonderful human beings on the planet. We just need to get together and start working collaboratively on building paradise. This will take a common sense perspective of what is needed and how it can be accomplished. As has been said before, the one thing people need and don't seem to have enough of is "common sense," as it is just not that common. Let us evolve. The solution to this is it takes thought, maybe even a dream or a vision for a better life. Think of one thing you can do today. However, getting people to THINK is the challenge because it is harder than just responding to others with our habitual reactions or preconceived tribal repetitive behaviors. Think of what you are doing now and ask yourself am I doing something that makes a positive difference in my life? Realize that you can make a difference and act to do something positive today. Even a small thing will make a difference, and do it every time you can so that it becomes a habit.

To think about a topic and find a solution for those things that we find annoying or distasteful takes concentration and determination. It is much easier to just ignore it or deflect the problem onto someone else via blame. Habits and conformity also contribute to a lack of movement on critical issues. A great book about our aversion to thinking is Thinking Fast & Slow by Daniel Kahneman. It is amazing how humans are programmed to survive and not necessarily to thrive.

It takes determination to motivate ourselves to move, to make a difference, to take action to get over the force that keeps us where we feel safe. However, it is not safe to be locked in one place, for that is when we become apathetic and can atrophy our ability to move and experience the wonders that life has to offer. Willpower is what is often missing in this fairly comfortable world we live in or within, as we each create these bubbles of existence with layers of limiting protections. Often, when directly confronted with an issue, we respond rather than think through a solution. Often kicking it down the road for someone else to deal with. Unfortunately, it may be too late to be effective, or it will take an even bigger effort to find a solution. So, we each must take responsibility for our lives and act each day as if our lives depended upon those actions. It does depend upon our actions to truly live up to our potential. We will not feel like it every day, and it is good to take a break once in a while to recharge, relax and appreciate life.

The idea of Global Warming has been around for a long time, and yet we still have not addressed many of the causes, and most of the global population is ignorant of its impact or is in denial of the issue and its potential impact on our lives. More are becoming aware as it has started to have major impacts on a global scale and is affecting more and more of our planet. They also do not have the knowledge to address the issue even when they start to comprehend that the problem exists, and they are less likely to learn until it affects them directly. This is why it is so important to have a trusted source of knowledge. Information is not knowledge, and we are overloaded with information in today's data-centric world. Knowledge is available if you look for it; however, as we are human, we tend not to look until it impacts our lives. This is too late, and we must help those around us clearly understand not only the joy of life, but the threat that not understanding it can be a danger. It is like not understanding what we should eat to remain healthy or that we should not play with fire but respect both its power and its usefulness. These may seem elemental; however, many lack these simple, common-sense understandings.

If we think pragmatically about our physical environment and work to improve every aspect to a level of lasting quality, we will have improved one facet of our lives. As our environment is what supports all life, you would think it would be a high priority for most people. We must think with a vision for the potential to be impacted by what surrounds us to be able to comprehend that potential threat and appreciate the nurturing impact it can have upon our lives. The elements of earth, water, fire, energy, and knowledge are incredibly powerful when utilized to build a sustainable life as we produce food to nourish our bodies and knowledge to nourish our minds. Build shelter where needed to protect ourselves and our family from the elements, as well as allow ourselves to appreciate the sheer beauty of nature. The structure of a leaf, the earth mound that a worm creates as it enriches our soil, and the enormous bacterial nutrient web that runs throughout the soils on Earth each contribute to the life force of our planet.